


GLHF!

by Rejuvenescenceia



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Creative Use of Tails, Demons, F/F, First Time, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sex, Slice of Life, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-07-06 01:42:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 29,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15875874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rejuvenescenceia/pseuds/Rejuvenescenceia
Summary: Hana's life seems to be going good on the surface. She's become the poster girl for the D.Stroyers, is in University, and near unbeatable in her favourite arcade. So when she accidentally summons a demon from a haunted Super Nintendo cartridge, does she really need four wishes?





	1. DLC

**Author's Note:**

> So with the short from a few weeks ago I feel like I now live for Hana Song. This idea was cooked up shortly thereafter and encouraged by a few friends... and now it's decided to become a fic. It'll be mostly slice of life, uncovering some secrets, some humour, some angst, some probably poorly written Korean customs on my part (but I'm doing my research! I'm trying!). Hope you enjoy!

“Get _wrecked!”_

Hana grinned, tilting her controllers, listening to her enemies yelling through her headset as she jammed one foot on the breaks and pivoted in her mech. Nearby she could hear a muffled shout of anger as she slammed the fist of the mech through the chest of her opponent and unleashed a barrage of rockets, ending the fight.

 _'D.Va wins!'_ the computer announced, her score flashing on the projection screen in front of her as the MEKA simulator came to an end.

With a satisfied sound, she hopped out of the pod and into the cool air of the arcade, shaking out her long hair as she pulled off her headset, skirt swishing around her legs.

From the other pod came Jae-eun, looking crestfallen. He was taller than Hana by about fifteen centimeters, his normally immaculate white hair somewhat dishevelled from wearing a headset. “I've been practising for months!”

“There there,” she said, patting the boy on the shoulder. “Maybe next time.”

“I only took down ten of your HP,” he grumbled. _“Ten.”_

Grinning at him, Hana picked up her drink from next to their waiting friends, Dae-hyun and Seung-hwa. “Practise more then,” she said.

With University classes done for the day, the four of them were relaxing in their favourite arcade, with Jae-eun as usual being overly optimistic on trying to beat Hana at one of her favourite games. The only one in the group who never played was Dae-hyun, who was currently involved in his physics homework.

Hana sat down across from him, reaching her foot out to nudge at his leg. “Dae-hyun, aren't you supposed to congratulate your best friend on a well deserved win?”

He looked up, rubbing at his tired eyes, then yawned. “Sorry. I thought you always win?”

Seung-hwa snickered, playing with a french fry on his plate. “It doesn't stop her from enjoying a bit of an ego boost.”

“Ah, guilty,” she said, reaching for some of Dae-hyun's food. “But really. Shouldn't you be getting ready for your trip?”

“Why?” he asked, closing the textbook. “I'm already mostly packed.”

She shrugged. “Just surprised you aren't trying to relax is all.”

“My bus is an overnight,” he said with a shrug. “I'll relax plenty when I sleep.”

She leaned back, stretching her arms over her head, then tapped the table top. “Anyone want to play me in _16 Bit Hero?”_

“No,” said Jae-eun, looking into his coffee. “I think I'm done getting my ass kicked for one day.”

“So you aren't a masochist after all?”

Around them the sounds of the arcade were loud, different musics and sound effects blending together into a kind of music Hana loved to listen to. The ambiance of the arcade made her feel relaxed, more relaxed than she had at home lately.

There was a murmur in the crowd, a few calls of excitement, but before she could look Jae-eun made a disgusted sound.

“Hmm?”

“King is here. And I think he just knocked you out of _Street Fighter.”_

“No way!”

She whipped around, eyes furious to see her rival King typing in his tag at the top of the scoreboard. Hana suddenly wanted to punch the look off his face, he looked so damn smug-

  
Before she could get up, however, Dae-hyun caught her arm and shook his head. “No, Hana. Wait to beat him at the tournament, remember? I don't think you want bad press so close to it.”

 _“Gae-sae-ggi,”_ she muttered. “He just wants me to go over there and beat him up.”

“He is a jerk,” agreed Jae-eun.

Seung-hwa said nothing, sipping his drink, and leaned back as he opened a text message. “I think before there's a brawl I'll head home. All of you, have a wonderful _Chuseok.”_

“Bye,” she said, giving Seung-hwa a wave. The other boy glanced once at King on his way out, who was now staring smugly at the table, before his eyes followed Seung-hwa out the door. “Ugh. He better leave Seung-hwa alone.”

“They were friends in grade school,” said Dae-hyun. “I can't imagine they'll fight.”

Hana shrugged. “C'mon. His head is taking up too much space – let's go to the flea market.”

“We have to catch the bus soon!”

“I'll only be a few minutes.”

Dae-hyun groaned as they all got up, picking up their litter.

Outside the air was a little frosty with an early year chill. Hana zipped up her hoodie, wrapping her scarf around her neck, hefting her bag over her shoulder. She was looking forward to the cooler months. No sweating, and plenty of sweet warm drinks and pastries.

“I'm going to head home,” said Jae-eun. “I'll see you guys later. Happy game hunting, Hana!”

“Bye!”

The flea market they wanted wasn't far. If Hana wasn't in the arcade, she was usually there, looking for something. Most of the flea markets were crafts, but a few had all sorts of used items. Old albums and records, CD's, movies, but most importantly they had _games._

Hana had an ever expanding collection of games. She was always on the lookout for old, rare titles and just something new and challenging to play. Sure, she loved her more modern console and PC games, but there was something about an old side-scroll without a save file, something you needed to pour 20 straight hours into, that gave her a thrill. Not to mention older games, like Nintendo, who had so many third party indie releases that seemed to mount into the thousands, of varying difficulty and rarity. She wanted them all, until she had a wall full of the games, and pursued streaming just with older, irrelevant and rare titles even if it was something as simple as _Zombies Ate My Neighbours._

This particular market was one in Busan she frequented, not far from the ocean. With a varying number of shopkeepers all in their booths the stock was ever changing, and usually on a good weekend she could find one or two games she didn’t have yet, depending on what her craving was. For two thousand won she could browse to her heart's content all day long if need be, stop and have some street vendor barbecue or a _bungeoppang_ with custard, or even just people watch the hundreds of bodies that moved through.

“Hana, where did you go?”

Lost in her thoughts, Hana hadn't realized she accidentally lost Dae-hyun in the crowd in her rush to get to one of the gaming booths. When she looked up she could see him scanning the crowd and looking anxious, like a parent who'd lost sight of their kid.

Rolling her eyes, she lifted her hand, waving her arm. “Over here, Dae-hyun!”

He sighed, sounding exasperated. “You are like trying to look after a hyper puppy sometimes,” he said, appearing next to her, crouching down. “I don’t know how to keep up.”

“Caffeine,” she told him confidently. “I have all of these.”

“You probably have every rare copy of every game in Busan,” he said, patting her head, eliciting a grumble from her throat as she waved him off. “We’re going to miss the bus. And then I'll have to pay for a taxi to get to my bus.”

“I just need a few minutes,” she said, standing and heading to another set of cases with another vendor. “Otherwise it’s a waste of money.”

“We might not have a few minutes.”

She wasn’t listening anymore, face nearly against the glass of another case. Dae-hyun was always mother henning. She loved it about him - she needed the care on _occasion_ \- but other times she tended to tune him out until after she’d already made the mistake, like not eating for ten hours or missing assignment deadlines.

She read the titles, feeling bored again - she owned them all already - when she spotted a title wedged in the corner she didn't know. But before she could ask, she also heard a few people chanting _‘D.Va! D.Va!’_ and had to stand.

That was the only downside to the markets, though it wasn’t a huge downside. People in game shops always recognized her. After all, she was the new covergirl of the D.Stroyers. It was expected of her to throw up a peace sign, sign some autographs, say her catchphrase. She hadn’t become elevated to any sort of idol status, but her team agent was expecting it, especially with the large volume of subscribers she had lately.

Dae-hyun found her, sighing as she signed a few games, waved at some excited younger kids, and then turned back to the case.

“You really like that, don’t you?”

“It is an ego boost,” she said. “I don’t mind it at all.”

Dae-hyun gave her a look - the kind that she knew meant he was trying to tell if she was being truthful, but Hana’s expression changed, once again leaning down to investigate the case. _“Jeo gee yo!_ I’d like to look at that one!”

The owner was a tall man with reed-like thinness and a brushing of white stubble. He turned from his catalogue, first fixing her with a flat, almost disapproving stare - she was used to that, even if she hated it - before going to the counter to lean and see what she meant.

 _“Demon Rising,”_ she said, pointing at the dark gray cartridge with the red art.

The man picked up the game and handed it over. Hana wasn’t sure why, but the game sort of felt… warm. Odd. She turned it over, inspecting the case for damage, before pulling out her phone, a frown on her face. The game looked mint, except for a little bit of rub off on the cartridge art, making the sides a touch worn but the picture - a small red face with horns and white eyes - quite clear.

Dae-hyun leaned over it. “Problem?”

“It’s not on my list. And my list is huge,” she explained, writing the title into the search engine. Her only hits were for different titles, several of them being apps and the like. “How rare is this thing? And it’s only twenty-thousand won…”

Determined to do the research later, she opened her purse and pulled out two ten thousand won notes, and handed them over. The old man hardly seemed to care, as though carrying games were more a convenience to him than any sort of passion, but she didn’t mind as she put the cartridge away. If this thing was as rare as it looked, it could be worth so much more.

Dae-hyun patted her shoulder. “Lucky find.”

“I know right? I mean, could totally be some lame ass indie game that’s sitting in a Mario cartridge, but won’t know until I get a good look,” she said. “Let’s go catch that bus.”

**

Hana sat on Dae-hyun’s bed cross legged, wearing a pink tank top and a pair of his boxers she’d stolen a few years ago and had never returned, and watched Dae-hyun pack. With the last of their classes finished, there was a five day break approaching for Chuseok. While Dae-hyun was heading west to visit distant relations with his parents, Hana was for once staying put.

“And they really don’t mind?” he asked, folding another shirt and stowing it away. “I just can’t picture your mother being so… easy going about it.”

Hana shrugged. “She knows school is important. You said yourself my grades are slipping.”

“It was rude of me,” he said, closing the suitcase. “And this really isn’t to spend time practising?”

She shook her head. “School, I swear.”

He scanned her again, deciding either Hana was becoming a better liar or she really was telling the truth. Most days, now, she worried him. She seemed to be more secretive, and like she was hiding something from him. Something that made her sad. More than that, it seemed like depression. He was deeply troubled about it, but like most Koreans Hana didn’t seem to want to talk about the possibility.

“You promise you’ll be alright?”

“Yes, yes. _Ja sik,_ will you stop pestering me?” she asked, standing up. “I don’t want to travel up North, I have school, and I promised I will observe _seongmyo_ here for our ancestors. I need this time to myself. Really.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, walking after her, dragging his suitcase with him. “It’s just… you never have before.”

“I’ve only been in University for two years, Dae-hyun. Why would this be considered some radical change?”

He shrugged. She wasn’t wrong, he supposed. “I can’t help it, you know that.”

“Well, help it this time,” she said. “Sooner or later, people have to get used to not having someone around all the time. That’s just how it works.” Her voice softened at the end, but she turned and smiled at him. “It’s three days. I can live on my own for three days. Now you have to go before you miss your train.”

He went to the door, opening it with one hand and picking up his suitcase with the other. “If I find out you ate nothing but chips and instant noodles for three days I’ll have a heart attack on your behalf.”

“Dae-hyun…”

He stared at her again. She was his best friend in the world, and just looking at her with her big brown eyes and her smile - a smile that reminded him of all of her fan pictures for her Twitch streams - made him want to stay home. She wasn’t the only one keeping secrets, after all.

When she shivered, the cool fall wind blowing in, he sighed. “Alright. I’ll call you later on Skype. Okay?”

“Okay,” she said, and grinned, before coming up to hug him. “Have a safe journey.”

“Have a pleasant weekend.”

The door shut and Hana’s smile promptly faded. She went to the door and gently turned the lock, breathing out slow and heavy, before her head rolled back and she wiggled her shoulders. It was freedom, of course. But not a good kind.

Her footsteps were a little slower, with less bounce as she went into the kitchen and found a soda in the fridge, and a bag of lobster chips from the cupboard. Sure, she had homework to do, but she already more or less knew what the evening would be. Some practice for the upcoming tournament with her team, of course, but also something for her. Even if it was insignificant.

Hana’s room was the master bedroom, but it was far more claustrophobic than Dae-hyun’s. Her bed was a bunk, with her gaming PC on a desk underneath, the screensaver bouncing around cheerfully. The rest of the walls were packed with shelves upon shelves of games and books, one wall taken up by several TV’s, one large and small, and a unit full of consoles beneath. In the middle of the floor was her gaming chair and set up, with a slowly radiating bit of mess from both small projects and homework and laundry.

She sighed, dropping her snack by the chair, and headed to the console. Demon Rising was waiting next to it, and she rubbed her thumb over the cartridge art before peeling off the tiny sticker the shopkeeper had put on it and rolling it between two fingers, discarding it to the side.

More research hadn’t revealed a single title by this name. It was getting more and more frustrating, especially when a check at the back showed all the information was in Japanese. She would at least have preferred it to be English, for ease of use.

With a grumble, but more than just a little curiosity, she opened the drive, blew on the cartridge to ensure it was free of dust, and slid it inside. Sure she could get one of those new systems that were able to hold hundreds of games… but this was far, far more satisfying. The sound of the cartridge locking in place, all the parts locking together, the snap as she shut it. The press of the slider to boot up. Best of all, none of the loading screens that later CD’s would have.

Wiggling back, Hana sat down in her pink gaming chair, and turned on the TV.

“What?”

Her head tilted, realizing the screen was a blank red. She’d never had that before… Grunting, about to haul herself up to try ejecting, blowing, and plugging in again, the screen flickered a few times. There was a distortion, the symbol from the cover flickered into view, before the lights went out with a sudden loud pop.

Hana yelped as her room was plunged into darkness, dropping the controller, the screen glowing an even darker red like a memory of light dying in a picture tube.

_“Ahhhhhhhhh…”_

She froze, half way scrambling to her cellphone to demand Dae-hyun come back for at least a few minutes, when she heard the sound from behind her. Someone was sighing.

Mouth dry, Hana grabbed her phone and turned on the light, swinging it around to see who had broken in. If it was Jae-eun she was going to kill him. But the figure there wasn’t a man. In fact, they were female, and completely unfamiliar.

The light came on, leaving the woman standing in front of a now blank TV screen. She was smiling, her lips a sharp red, like the poison apple from Snow White, her eyes dancing. Hana knew she had to be seeing things when she noticed the two small horns rising from the woman’s jet black hair, or even the swishing tail behind her. That was it. The doctors were right.

And yet she didn’t seem like a hallucination.

“Who the fuck are you?” she demanded, heart pounding hard.

 _“Mmmm,”_ hummed the woman, stretching her arms over her head again as if she’d just gotten out of bed after a particularly good sleep, and her body just casually lifting off of the ground a few inches as she pressed her legs out catlike. “You can call me Yuna.”


	2. Retrogaming

Hana woke up with a grumbling sound and a headache persisting over her left temple. She sat up with her arms around her large stuffed rabbit, Tokki, and pressed her face in his worn fur. “Tokki I had some really weird dreams…” she mumbled, flopping over again, trying to block out the sunlight that was filtering through her curtains, when they were suddenly flung wide open, flooding the room with bright white light.

“AH! Dae-hyun, you’re not supposed to  _ do  _ that!” she yelled, before getting up to throw a pillow at him, and freezing completely when she saw the woman reclining in mid air, giving her an amused look.

“You know, I’m a demon, but even I can’t condone sleeping past noon. You’re just wasting so much  _ time.” _

The colour draining from Hana’s face, she dropped the pillow. “I thought you were a dream.”

The woman, Yuna, chuckled. It was a pleasant, quiet sound. “I get that a lot. Was it a good dream?”

“A  _ nightmare.” _ Hana rolled, pulling the blankets over her head.

“Aw, that’s mean.”

With a muffled yell of frustration, last night came back in far too much clarity. Discovering she’d purchased a cursed video game with a woman living inside of it just felt too much like an anime, enough so that Hana had believed she’d just fallen asleep and was having a vivid medication dream. It seemed, however, that wasn’t the case.

When Yuna pat her shoulder Hana rolled until she touched the wall, one furious brown eye peering out at her. “Don’t do that.”

“I’m concerned about you.”

“Why? You’re a demon, like you said. Demons don’t get concerned.”

“Technically you’re my master though.”

“Then as your master, I say  _ go away.” _

“Is that your wish? Because that’ll be harder to grant the other three…”

Oh. Right. 

In addition to having a haunted game cartridge of a fake game, Yuna the Demon was also like a Genie, and came with the offer of four wishes, not that Hana was just about to go running off to wish for that. She’d seen several horror movies that suggested why this wasn’t exactly a good thing, despite the movie  _ Aladdin. _

With another mutter Hana kicked off her blankets and slid down her ladder, trying to ignore the way Yuna was floating along behind her. Last night she’d had a lot of yelling before she’d just had to go to sleep, praying it all away.

“You know,” said Yuna, hovering outside the bathroom door in a very literal way, “if you’re this bothered you can just wish for some breakfast, a new wardrobe, and some other inane things.”

“And then what?” Hana asked, opening the door when she was finished with the toilet. She gave Yuna a doubting look as she turned on the sink to wash her face.

“You give the cartridge to a friend.”

Hana sniffed. “You know, I’ve seen movies. Like that old one, the Monkey Paw. I know how demon gifts work.”

“I mean, I guess if you believe in all that Christian theology and haven’t watched Aladdin you might believe that. And there are assholes in every bunch of people like me. But I’m legit. My wishes are wishes, unless you wish for something that would naturally have a downside.”

“Like what?” she asked, rubbing her face with a towel to dry it. 

“Well, like if you force me to grant a wish on the ‘no’ list.”

Yuna was following Hana into the kitchen, who was determined to go about everything as though she didn’t have a very unwelcome guest floating behind her. Stubborn, she opened the rice cooker and began to dole out some leftover  _ kongnamul bap,  _ and briefly wondered if she should serve her ‘guest.’

Undecided, she left the cooker open and put a bowl next to it before heading to the refrigerator for the leftover grilled mackerel. “So what’s the no list?”

Yuna it seemed was happy to help herself, both to food and turning on the kettle. Hana eyed her while she opened the container and put the cold fish on her rice then sat down at the table. 

“I can’t compel people to do things,” she replied.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I can’t make people like you, or fall in love with you. Souls are too complicated for that. And I can’t bring folks back from the dead.”

Hana paused, a piece of fish halfway to her mouth, and then lowered her chopsticks. “What do you mean if I force you then? If you can’t?”

“I mean I’ll be made to try and you’ll regret it.” Yuna sat down, picking up a pair of chopsticks herself, and breathed in. “Oh, I’ve missed  _ kimchi. _ I’ve missed food really. I don’t need it but it’s  _ so good.” _

Hana found herself a little sympathetic on that. “How long have you been… asleep?”

“You said it was 2018, right? So that makes twenty-five years.” She brushed back some of her hair, chewing thoughtfully, then she moaned before she swallowed. “Damn it. That’s good.”

“...Have as much as you like,” she found herself saying, before starting to eat. “And… tell me about your conditions.”

Yuna chuckled, but she seemed pleased with the offer as she began to eat a little faster. “Well, like I said, souls are complicated. If I compel someone to say, fall in love with you, they will. But it won’t be like on television. They’ll become obsessed with you. You’ll be all they can think about, all they can want. It’s dangerous.”

Hana winced. “Okay, yeah. Same with liking?”

“Same with liking. It’d… be like having a permanent tag along. They’ll never want to  _ not _ be around you.”

“And… not that I’m going to, but what about the other thing?”

“I can’t raise departed souls. For one, generally speaking they don’t have a body to come home to. And for two, tearing someone away from the afterlife damages them. They’d come back wrong.”

Again, Hana winced. It wasn’t a pleasant thought, making her think of zombie movies and other horror films about bad wishes. And it made her even more reluctant to consider Yuna’s offer of  _ wishes. _

Even if she had some fairly legitimate things to wish for.

Hana finished her bowl of rice and fish, setting it aside, and considered Yuna a moment. “What was it you said last night? You want me to take my time?”

She nodded. “I’d prefer it, yeah. I mean, I only get to be  _ out _ when someone has summoned me and I haven’t fulfilled my contract.”

“And why haven’t you convinced someone to wish you free?”

“I can’t be. It’s another condition,” she said with a shrug. 

“Like how you went from a sword to a mirror…” Hana at least remembered that much from the yelling last night, with the demon girl patiently trying to explain to her why she was haunting a  _ game cartridge. _

“Yes! Exactly,” she said, finishing her own food and eyeing the rice cooker. “Also, humans are greedy. So I’ve actually only been wished around four times.”

“How’d it start?”

“Well, I’ve been around since the Joseon Dynasty,” she said. “Had a little mishap with some witchcraft, the usual, and became a cursed  _ jedok geom. _ Of course, I passed hands pretty frequently. Despite the fact that no one wanted to associate with a demon, a cursed sword to bring victory was something soldiers wanted. I remained that way for a long time, until the Korean Empire, at which point some British jerk off wished me free and I ended up in his mistresses mirror.”

Hana tried not to snort at that and failed, which made Yuna smile wider. “Yeah. Then I got put away for a long time, until some antique collector got their hands on me and I made my way around in the seventies and eighties for a bit. The game cartridge was a guy in Pohang. Lonely dukhoo type. He really tried.”

“This,” Hana shook her head, “is a lot to take in.”

“Take all the time you need. Look, it’s been twenty-five years. Let me just roll around the apartment, try on some clothes. We could go shopping! Or out to eat, hit some clubs…”

“It’s  _ Chuseok  _ soon _ ,” _ she said, remembering it with a surprised look. “I don’t know there’ll be much clubbing.”

“Well, food then. Either way, just…” she extended her arms over her head. “Stretching. Living a little. Looking at  _ people.  _ Learning the new fashions. I bet lots of things have been invented since the 90’s.”

Hana eyed Yuna’s clothes, specifically the dated looking red and black striped shirt she had tucked into acid wash jean shorts. “You’re telling me.”

“I’ll just check your closet. I’m sure there’s  _ something _ you own that isn’t pink.”

“Hey!”

And just like that, Hana had another roommate. She had no idea how she would explain this to Dae-hyun when he came back on Tuesday either. All she knew, with how long Yuna had supposedly been cooped up and without human contact with food, that she couldn’t just bear to make her go away. It seemed to cruel.

And there was the matter of wishes to consider.

After cleaning up she went to find Yuna in her room, her own old clothes tossed aside on the floor, pawing through Hana’s wardrobe for something new to wear.

When she realized Yuna was naked Hana flushed up bright red, covering her eyes and turning around. “Jeez! Put some  _ clothes on  _ will you?”

“That’s the point of this exercise, isn’t it?” Yuna replied, before she sounded delighted. “Wow, you’re all embarrassed I’m naked aren’t you?”

“Y-yeah! Duh!”

“Do I at least look good? I haven’t had the chance to exercise for twenty-five years…”

Hana made an impatient sound, face still covered. “I’m not looking!”

Yuna snorted. “Very well… you know you’re the second woman to free me, but the first person who  _ didn’t _ want to get an eyeful. Am I not attractive enough for you?”

“It’s not that, it’s -” realizing what she was about to say, Hana flushed a deeper red. “JUST PUT SOME CLOTHES ON.”

Yuna cackled. “There, there little bunny, I’m getting dressed.”

Feeling miserable, and regretting thinking even once that she felt bad for Yuna, Hana made her way blind to her desk and sat down in the chair, putting her head down next to the keyboard. Yuna was going to be  _ impossible. _ And where was she even going to sleep?

**

Yuna had a way of persuading people. Maybe it was her always talking about how lonely twenty-five years is, or it was just her infectious personality, but Hana had a feeling she could be convinced of anything by her new demonic… friend. Which was how they ended up leaving the house, despite Hana needing to study, to go to the arcade. Hana figured there was plenty for the demon to do without her getting into some sort of trouble.

“Woah, arcades sure have changed!” said Yuna, looking around at the place in awe.

“I guess so?” she said, after paying up a few token cards. Yuna was busy at the prize counter, looking at all the options. “Last time you were in one I wasn’t even a thought.”

“I want to try everything. How many prizes do you think I can win?”

“I mean, after twenty-five years you might be a little rusty - hey! Where are you just going?” Hana sighed, following after Yuna, who had bounded for the nearest machines without a thank you the second she had the card in her hand. “You’re rude, you know that?”

Yuna looked up, gave Hana a winning smile, then plugged the card into the machine. Hana felt her cheeks grow hot, but she shook her head furiously a moment before looking at the game. She was  _ not _ going to get flustered by a demon with a pretty face.

“This isn’t an easy game,” she said, as Yuna read the instructions. “I wouldn’t suggest it for a beginner.”

“Eh. I’ll get the hang of it fast.”

She wasn’t lying. Perhaps it was living  _ in  _ a video game, or just some sort of demonic power, but she took to it like a bird to the sky. While Yuna wasn’t breaking any of Hana’s records it was obvious she had skill. A lot of it. 

“Woah.”

Yuna simply smiled, pleased with herself.

Despite Hana’s plans on studying in the arcade while Yuna fiddled around, a sudden burst of competitiveness had Hana loading in on multiplayer games and fighting sims to play against Yuna, really test her skill, and before she knew it hours had gone by. 

A small crowd was gathering, even, as Yuna caught up and Hana was winning only by the narrowest of margins, her fingers flying over the controls as she fought back in Street Fighter as Sakura, while Yuna played Menat.

Sweating, she could hear people asking who Yuna was, the excited murmurs that D.Va might be bested by another girl crawling under Hana’s skin. Sure, she had no problem being beaten by another of her gender, but to have it done in just a day, versus someone with magical powers?

Nope, no way.

“Hana?” there was a sound behind her, but Hana wasn’t about to turn around and look. She could tell by the voice it was Jae-eun, leaning around her to stare at the screen. “Holy shit - where did you find this girl?”

“Shut up, Cas,” she snapped. “I’m concentrating.”

He fell silent, but she could feel the tension at her side. It wasn’t helping. And if Jae-eun was there, then Seung-hwa was too, and she  _ definitely _ couldn’t get shown up in front of one of her teammates.

“Take this!” she yelled, standing up, delivering her last combo and finally watching Menat fall to the ground. “There!”

Yuna looked around the machine and grinned at her, the first time she’d smiled and showed her teeth. “Wow, you are  _ really _ good! I think I’m gonna like you!”

“GG,” said Hana, feeling guilty that Yuna was gracious about it. She wouldn’t have been.

“Oh… I need a name to enter. It seems we both racked up a lot of points.”

Hana looked up at the scoreboard, considering. A moment later Yuna chuckled, entering DMon with a few clicks of the button.

“Oh my god,” muttered Hana.

“What? It’s cute,” said Yuna. “And it matches yours.”

“She going to be on the team?” asked someone behind her, reminding Hana over again that her friends had found them and now she had to explain the new girl wearing her clothes. 

Seung-hwa was standing there with a bubble tea, looking at them both with that usual steady, calm gaze of his. Next to him was Jae-eun, still looking surprised by it all, and visibly flustered by something.

“Uh, guys, this is Yuna. She is in Busan for  _ Chuseok _ , and is a… friend. She’ll be staying with me.”

Hana realized why Jae-eun was flustered when he bowed his head to Yuna. Clearly, he was smitten and he’d only seen her for a few seconds. “Kwon Jae-eun,” he said. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“Lee Yuna,” she replied with a bow, and a knowing, pleased, smile. 

“And I am Shi Seung-hwa,” he said. “How do you two know each other?”

Hana’s brain stuttered to a halt. The way Seung-hwa was giving her that little suspicious look, as if he just  _ knew _ something…

Oh. Oh jeez. Hana’s cheek’s flushed up.  _ He thinks we’re dating! _

Yuna put her arm around Hana. “Just old friends,” she said. “My parents are unavailable for  _ Chuseok _ so Hana and I are having a little time together. Catching up, having dinner, that sort of thing.”

Seung-hwa’s eyebrows raised. “I’m surprised you’ve never mentioned you’d have a guest this weekend before.

Hana covered her face, mortified. She knew at this point his mind was made up. She just wished Yuna didn’t look so  _ pleased _ about it. “It was spontaneous… very unexpected. You’d almost say she dropped in completely uninvited.”

“Not that you’re complaining,” said Yuna, unabashed. 

“I’m pretty sure I’ve complained a lot.”

Yuna just winked at Jae-eun, then gave a little bow of her head to Seung-hwa. “Well, what’s the plan? Dinner? Clothes shopping? Oh, I’d love to see what kind of cute lingerie there is to find in Busan.”

Jae-eun made a strange choking noise. Hana sighed, her own cheeks still crimson. “I’m sure the boys don’t want to go clothes shopping with us, Yuna.” She already knew the demon would model for them. “Why don’t we let them be?”

“You’re no fun sometimes, Hana. I’m going to cash in my points for a prize.” She turned, running off at once, Hana’s black skirt swishing around her legs as she headed for the counter.

Offering the two an apologetic look, Hana turned to follow after Yuna to make sure she didn’t get in trouble. 

The prize counter was standard fare, several meters long and chalk full of all sorts of things to be exchanged for. Hana already had most of it, and usually donated her points to other players when she could get away with it. There were stuffed toys, trading cards, some candy, little novelty items, and a fewer big ticket items like gaming controllers and headsets. 

Yuna was leaning on the counter, the shirt she’d taken from Hana - a plain white button up number, since Yuna seemed to be adverse to anything that wasn’t red or black - undone at the top to show off her ample chest. The man behind the counter was stuttering, making Hana roll her eyes but come up alongside, saying a quiet hello.

“I’ll take… ooh, that headset. How cute.” It was a popular model that a lot of folks were buying, a set of cat ears which glowed when you turned on music and could either broadcast or do noise cancellation. This particular pair was bright red.

“You don’t have to dazzle him you know,” said Hana. “It isn’t very kind.”

“What do you mean?” asked Yuna, putting the headphones on and fluffing out her hair. “Yes, very cute. I’ll need an outfit to match.”

“I mean,” said Hana, “doing that thing where you bat your pretty eyes and get everything you want. You had Jae-eun speechless.”

Yuna sighed, putting away the points card in her borrowed purse. “It’s not my fault if they like a pretty face. And you  _ could _ have that - everything for free. With just one little wish,” she winked, “you could be an Idol. Signed tomorrow. You name it - an actress, a singer, a model, with your name and face plastered on billboards…”

Hana was already on a few posters, and for a wild moment the offer was tempting, if it wasn’t for the very real problem hanging over her head. “I thought you can’t compel people?”

“Not to be your friend or love-love you,” said Yuna. “But signing over a record deal? Sure thing. Hana “D.Va” Song… isn’t there something you want to be famous for?”

Thinking of the D.Stroyers, she knew what she’d want. Not that she would wish for it though. She had the skill. She just needed to put in the time.

“I’m still thinking,” she said, and Yuna shook her head, arm around Hana once more. 

“Well, don’t worry your pretty little head about it. The more time you take, the more time I have to be outside.”

“So what do you want to do next, then?” she said, offering Yuna a small smile.

“Whatever we damn well please, honestly,” she said, her shadow looking like it had horns on the sidewalk as the automatic doors opened to the night. “It’s a good night to get up to absolutely no good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those that comment! It just pumps me up and gets me excited to do more, and know people appreciate what I'm doing!


	3. YOLO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stealing is bad mmkay. Also I know this chapter is short, but honestly it was a good point to stop. And short chapters just mean more chapters, in the end, right?

No good, it turned out, ended up being a tasting tour of various street foods while Yuna ‘recharged’ and then going shopping for makeup. Just then they were looking at expensive makeup in Aritaum, a place Hana tended not to shop in with her student budget unless there was a sale. At least that night the store was mostly empty, and they were alone, so Hana wasn’t afraid of being overheard.

“So what do you do for fun?” asked Yuna, holding a colour to her face.

“Just games, mostly. It’s what I’m good at.”

“Really? You don’t like partying?”

Hana raised an eyebrow as she picked up a tester and tried it on her wrist. “We left the arcade. We could have had beer with Jae-eun and Seung-hwa.” Though, she figured, it was probably best if they left anyway or Jae-eun’s jaw would become permanently unhinged.

“Nah. I mean like real partying,” she said, turning around, a hint of those horns appearing for a moment before Hana blinked and they were gone. “You know, hard liquor, dancing, bad decisions with bad boys, some gambling. I want risk and reward.”

“That sounds expensive.”

“Money isn’t a problem for me,” said Yuna, with a shrug. “But besides… we’re pretty enough we could get anything with the right gullible man.”

Hana sighed, capping the tester and putting it back. “You really are a demon.”

Yuna plucked a new lipstick from the shelf and uncapped it, leaning in to apply it to Hana’s lips. Surprised, Hana held still as Yuna worked, ever so close, her eyes on Hana’s mouth.

“That’s,” she said, pulling the lipstick away, “a beautiful shade on you.”

“Well, now I have to buy it,” said Hana, frustrated, her cheeks flushing up.

Yuna leaned in, her lips pressing against Hana’s in a lingering kiss. She chuckled at the way Hana gasped. “You don’t  _ have _ to buy it. I don’t think they’d notice if it went missing. Live a little, Hana.”

She capped it, pressing it into Hana’s hand, and winked, before walking over to look at the darker shades of red she’d been admiring.

It was strange how a little kiss - her  _ first, _ Hana realized, standing there with the lipstick in hand - could set her adrenaline flooding the way a high stakes game could.

Yuna didn’t look back, picking up a makeup case along with a few bottles of nail polish and other little things, and made her way to the front of the aisle. “I’m picking these up,” she said loftily, disappearing around the front.

Watching where she went, squeezing the tube in her hand, a little voice asked  _ why not live a little? _

It’s not like she had the most time to make bad decisions anyway.

Before someone came, Hana slipped the tube in her purse and walked past the counter, giving Yuna a wave. “I’ll be outside!”

No one looked twice at her, but her heart was still beating fast when she made it onto the sidewalk without being called out. 

She gulped the air, looking up. The sky was invisible past the lights, but it had started to rain and the pavement was glittering from the wet. The air tasted clean and she felt… elated.

_ I did it, _ she thought, holding her purse a little tighter.  _ I haven’t stolen anything since I was five and my cousin made me steal a pack of Pokémon cards. _

Yuna appeared a moment later with a little pink bag. “Well, where shall we go now? I mean it, I’d really like to-”

Hana took her hand and pulled Yuna into a run away from the boutique, giggling as she did, feeling giddy and high over a stupid lipstick tube. She didn’t stop for a block and a half before she leaned against the wall under an awning, still holding Yuna’s hand.

“You stole it?” asked Yuna, whose eyes were bright. “Look at you, Miss Straight and Narrow!”

Hana brushed her hair away from her face, still laughing. “I don’t know why. And it’s - it’s such a rush! Over a dumb little tube of lipstick!”

“One that looks great on you,” said Yuna, squeezing her hand. “Let’s say we get up to some more mischief and mayhem before the night’s out. I’m thinking… soju and waffles. Some karaoke.”

Hana grinned. “What are we waiting for?”

**

Demons were undoubtedly a bad influence, but honestly Hana felt more alive than she had in a long time. Even the future didn’t seem dark as she and Yuna ran along the strand on Haeundae Beach, the lights of the buildings gradually fading until it was just the two of them laughing as the freezing water splashed them and foamed up over the sand.

Bags of goods both liberated and bought dropped by a nearby rock, they kicked off their shoes, took off their nylons, and ran for the waves, shrieking as it washed over their toes, the churning sand sinking under foot. 

Hana lifted the bottle of soju - a pricey thing she’d managed to swipe when Yuna had oh so innocently asked the shop keeper for help - and took a few burning gulps. She laughed, head buzzing delightfully as she passed over the bottle to her friend.

“This is insane,” she said, walking further out until the cold water was sucking at her calves, dress starting to cling with the spray. 

A waving flag caught her eye and Hana could just barely make out the universal sign for dangerous currents. For a wild, compulsive second, Hana considered going for a swim.

“We’re just living, cutting loose. See, I’m not bad! And if you wish for the right things, this could be your life all the time! No consequences! Just fun!” Yuna took a long drink of the bottle and snorted, leaning over. “This is so good. I missed soju. Last time I was out we didn’t drink at all.”

Hana walked over, taking the bottle for another drink, getting dangerously close to drunk. “Why not?”

“Well, the last guy to own me only had the Super Nintendo randomly. He got the console and me from a box of games after my previous master died - the otaku type I mentioned before - and left it to him. It was random, him managing to turn it on,” said Yuna, splashing her feet, cat ears from the arcade tilted humorously on her head. “He was a lonely guy, an older man. Just checking to see if the system worked so he could give it to his son, when I came out.”

Hana lowered the bottle, tilting her head. Yuna looked… sad.

“What happened then?”

“Well… He was dying and instead of wishing himself healthy he used his wishes to help stuff. His kid, and his grandchildren. He didn’t drink or smoke, didn’t want to take risks. He just… wanted company.”

“What did he die of?”

“Cancer,” said Yuna. “We played cards, took care of his cats, and I kept him company until he died and my contract returned me to the game. At which point I think I just… ended up getting sold.”

Hana felt cold, looking out at the ocean. “You did a good thing for him.”

“Yeah. I guess,” she said quietly. “He was nice. Lived by the ocean in Pohang. We’d go for walks.”

Her heart squeezed. Suddenly the day seemed like it had gone on for far too long, and Hana felt like she hadn’t slept for days. “I think I’ve had enough to drink.”

“Well, can’t expect you to handle your liquor like a demon,” said Yuna, taking the bottle and capping it. “Let’s get our bounty home, get you dry, and plan out something for tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” she said softly, looking back out at the white capped ocean, glittering under the moon.

The mad urge to go swimming in the current struck her again before, slowly, Hana turned and walked back to their things, the wind tugging at her hair as she thought of the old man dying in Pohang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank-you sooo much for all the feedback so far, I adore it!


	4. SCNR

The first thing Hana noticed was the hangover pounding between her temples, aching and throbbing, and her dry mouth. She was pressed against the rails of the bunkbed, one arm hanging over the side going numb and cold, the other trapped beneath her. Her bedroom had an unreal quality about it, as if she couldn’t remember how she got there. Blearily she could make out bags of chips, some candy, pop and a bottle of soju by her gaming chair. The party apparently hadn’t stopped when they came back from the beach.

Time to get up, even if it was just to pee. The bed was scorching hot anyway. Groaning, she started to shift to get up enough to slip down the ladder.

In response, someone’s arm tightened around her middle and she froze.

_ OhnodidIbringsomeonehome? _

The terrifying idea of finding some random person to take home now firmly planted in her head had Hana ready to scream and rocket out of bed. She didn’t  _ feel _ as though she had sex, not that Hana had a lot of experience to draw upon, and she wasn’t naked, but there was still  _ someone in her bed. _

Slowly she turned, eyes nervous, only to find Yuna laying there and taking up most of the double bed, her horns extending from her hair, tail draped over Hana’s hip. She looked almost innocent like that. Hana knew better.

She frowned. Of course Yuna decided to crash in her bed. Hana would have to get her a cot or something, especially when Dae-hyun was home. She just hoped the girl wouldn’t be a space hog every night.

The urge to pee was forgotten, though, when she looked back at those horns. 

_ Hana don’t do it, _ she thought, but then her tongue poked out and she reached up to gently touch it. She had never felt a horn or antler of an animal before, so she wasn’t sure why she was expecting it to be rough. Instead it was smooth, the points a little rounded instead of sharp.  _ Huh. _

Yuna made a face and her tail whipped like a cat. Well, if Yuna was already invading her space, Hana would just keep making observations.

The skin of Yuna’s tail was also red, and very smooth. Like the rest of her, her temperature was furnace-like. She poked the tip of the tiny spade, watching the sides curl up against the stimulus. 

_ Okay that’s kind of cute, _ she thought, as it curled around her hand.

Still, she was probably breaking all kinds of boundaries just by poking her. Hana rubbed her eyes and this time resisted the squeezing arms, managing to get out of the bed.

Her room was a  _ mess _ of the things both bought and stolen, as well as their snacks. She’d have to clean up later -  _ both of them _ , Hana wasn’t letting Yuna out of it - but she also had a lot of homework and practice to do. The thought was… daunting.

Pills first, the ones she kept in her makeup bag with too many syllables, followed by a considerable amount of water and a few painkillers. Then came a cold shower, where she sat down on the tiles and reflected. 

Wishes.  _ Wishes.  _ What would she wish for? Why hadn’t she wished for anything yet?

Glancing at the makeup bag where little blue bottles were hidden from Dae-hyun’s eyes, she rubbed a hand over her head and thought about why she hadn’t just made  _ that _ wish. If she even would.

Her hand rested back on the tiles with a small splash, and she reached up with the other to turn the water up a degree or two, and sighed. There was a lot else to consider too. Four wishes weren’t just about her.

And Yuna…

Last night she’d had to get darkly drunk not to think of the old man from Pohang dying with Yuna by his side. Or had she been? Maybe he’d used the last wish and she’d been safely sealed away in the cartridge and had no idea when he’d died, just that Hana had been the next face she’d seen after changing hands, store to store.

Yeah, there was Yuna and her wellbeing to consider too, demon or not.

Once out of the shower and smelling soft and floral, Hana felt a little better, though a fog was still settled over her senses. The best cure for a hangover was beef bone soup, but lacking that Hana pulled out several ramen packets and a carton of eggs, figuring she had enough random things that hadn’t gone bad to scrape something salty and nutritious at once together.

The sounds must have woken Yuna, or perhaps she just woke up from the lack of another body, because Hana heard the toilet flush. It struck her as amusing, a devil needing to pee like any other person, but in she walked a few moments later wearing one of Hana’s shirts and a pair of panties she’d swiped the night before.

She looked sleepy, too, her tail limp and hanging over the floor. “Mm. Why up already?”

Hana laughed, but it was quiet as she dropped noodles into the boiling soup base. “I had to pee. And someone is very warm when they sleep.”

Yuna yawned, going to the coffee maker. Hana was about to tell her they were out when Yuna snapped her fingers, a can appearing in front of her, and she began to work. 

_ Well, that must be nice.  _

“Will you keep out of trouble while I’m doing my homework and practicing?” she asked.

“Define trouble.”

Hana sighed. Probably not then.

“Well, maybe you can help me clean, then you can find trouble,” she said. “And before you spout that ‘it has to be a wish’ nonsense, I haven’t made one yet and as you said, it keeps you out longer, so that means you live here. Which means you help out.”

“Slave driver.”

Hana snorted.

After breakfast Hana headed to her room to clean up, only to find Yuna had done something and the place was more spotless than she’d ever seen it. Also her new roommate was sprawled face first on Dae-hyun’s bean bag chair on the floor, tail limp and hair all over.

“You’re still hungover too, then?” she asked, walking past. “Try and have a shower.”

Practice with the rest of the team seemed to be par for the course. Whatever Yuna was up to was none of Hana’s concern, she was too focused on their game to bother with what mischief she could do, if Yuna was doing anything other than laying there.

“On your left,” said Hana, who had Seung-hwa on video chat on her second screen. He looked as tired as she did, though likely not for the same reason. “Nice. You know, I think our team’s got a good shot this year at the title.”

“Mm,” he replied. “Above.”

She turned her gun upwards, taking out the incoming DPS. “No, don’t think so?”

“What?”

“Why the ‘mm?’ What about our talent is an ‘mm?’ You’re killing it, I’m killing it. We’re all killing it.”

Seung-hwa didn’t reply at first, which Hana chocked up to concentration, but after a minute or two she had to wonder.

“So what did you and Cas get up to when Yuna and I left?”

“Not much,” he said, much more quickly. “Cas is very invested in beating you at a video game.”

“Why though? It’s not like I could ever hope to match his skill on a race track.” Not that she supposed she wouldn’t mind trying. 

“Call it friendly rivalry. He is pretty good at gaming. Left.”

_ Hmm. _ She let it go on in silence for a few more minutes. “Are you okay, Seung-hwa? You seem very quiet.”

“I am concentrating.”

_ No, you’re not. You missed the last three shots you would get no problem, _ she thought, feeling worried now. 

“Are you okay? You’re sluggish,” he replied.

“Too much soju.”

“Your new… friend?”

Her cheeks coloured. “Don’t worry about it.”

It was almost as though, however, Yuna had sensed she was being spoken about. Hana did know an English saying about speaking of devils, after all. A moment later Yuna was leaning over her shoulder. 

“How are you doing?” she asked, playing with Hana’s ponytail. “Kicking ass?”

Distracted, Hana missed a shot and felt like a fool. “...Yes.” She blew up from being swarmed by several enemies. “No. WTB HEALS!” she yelled in group chat.

Several responses pinged back, complaining about her output. Seung-hwa was quick to jump on it.

**D.Coy:** Hana is hungover   
**D.Va:** EXCUSE ME  승화!!! QQ   
**D.Vient:** KEK

“Rude,” she muttered, as the chat continued.

“You need a break?” asked Yuna, leaning over again. “I could try.”

“No offence, but it’s practice for an upcoming tournament. You aren’t on the team,” she said, trying not to notice the way Yuna’s breasts were brushing against her shoulder, and how she was just so nicely warm.

“For good luck then,” said Yuna, tilting Hana’s head with a crook of her finger, and kissing her on the lips.

Hana’s brain stopped, eyes going wide as she breathed in. Yuna smelled like her own shampoo, soft and floral and sweet, and her lips were so  _ soft, _ and -

There was a muffled sound on the mic. “Hana, if you’re busy with your girlfriend!”

_ “SHI-BAL!” _ She pulled away, her face crimson as she tried to complete the match, afraid to look at Seung-hwa.

They won - barely. Hana felt miserable as she put down her controller and cried off, deciding it was too much to bear that day between the hangover, her embarrassment, and this  _ thing _ she was getting every time Yuna got near her. And Yuna had only been there a short while. It wasn’t  _ fair. _

Seung-hwa signed off without saying good-bye, which was strange for him. She  _ knew _ he was hiding something, but she didn’t know what, and it made her sad. They were always such good friends…

“Why did you do that?” she asked, turning off the monitor. “What if I’d been streaming? I could have been ruined.”

“It’s just a good luck kiss!”

“Do you have any idea how homophobic this culture is?”

“I have a fair idea. I’ve been in it longer,” Yuna replied, her voice a little less amused.

Hana made a little growl, climbing up onto her bed and grabbing Tokki. Well, she couldn’t argue Yuna on that one. 

“Does it bug you? When I kiss you?” asked Yuna, not willing to let it drop apparently.

“Yes! No! I don’t know,” she said. “I guess I’m less mad about that than Seung-hwa thinking we’re dating.”

Below, Yuna giggled. Apparently everything was a joke, or a game. “Do you need a good luck kiss for your homework too?”

_ “Gguh-juh.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dumb babies. And thank you all for your support!


	5. BY&M

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize all these chapters are so short. I could probably muster up much longer, but once they've gotten a point across I tend to let it be what it is. It won't be a super long fic... but I hope to finish it soon.
> 
> ALSO I tried to do my research about both Chuseok and seongmyo. If anyone notices a glaring problem with my writing, please let me know! I don't know any Koreans to read it, so I did my best researching both from personal accounts to articles.

On the following day the weather wasn’t particularly good for a picnic, even one in a graveyard. Hana was wearing somber clothes, but her bright pink umbrella made her stand out she supposed as she and Yuna made their way with a basket full of food off of the train platform and down into the cemetery. 

There was a surprisingly low amount of people around, but Hana knew  _ Chuseok  _ wasn’t apparently what it was when she was a child. Even her own parents, a Confucian and Catholic mix, were a little bit of an oddity.

With the rain pattering on the umbrella that covered her and Yuna, she wondered if her ancestors - namely her aunts and her grandmother - would disapprove of her bringing a real demon to  _ seongmyo  _ wouldn’t bring her a great deal of ill favor. 

There was a small plot where her family was interred, though in the future apparently that would change. There weren’t even many people there as they picked their way down neatly tended past between rows of burial mounds. 

“Who is here?” asked Yuna, breaking an odd little silence that had befallen them since leaving the house. It almost made Hana jump.

“My maternal grandmother, and two of my mother’s sisters,” she said. “They were strict Confucian.”

Yuna tilted her head. “Right… lots of Catholics and Protestants now, aren’t there?”

“I guess it seems strange.”

“A little.”

The mounds were now snug amongst many others, with no room for more family members on the Song plot. It was a trifle overgrown now, and Hana set down the basket and closed the umbrella, leaning it on a small fence, before she knelt to pluck weeds.

After a moment Yuna joined her. “I guess some rituals don’t go.”

“I’ve come here every year,” said Hana. “Mom planted all those flowers.”

“Does death seem scary to you?”

Hana thought for a moment, before she blew out a little breath. “Yes.”

“When I was a little girl,  _ jesa _ was important,” said Yuna. “Our rituals were… unbreakable. And misbehaving was sure to draw the ire of your ancestors. I used to be terrified of it, both of  _ seongmyo  _ and  _ charyesang. _ That if I’d put so much of a toe out of line or had a wrinkled  _ hanbok  _ that my ancestors would rush from their mounds to punish me.”

Hana put the weeds, and the few scraps of garbage that must have blown in on the wind, in a small bag and folded it into her pocket, trying to imagine that. How long ago it must have been, what it was like. How everyone behaved.

“I don’t even know where my family might be now,” Yuna continued after a moment, wiping her hands with a handkerchief and water from the rain.

“I’m sorry.”

Yuna shrugged, standing up and putting her hands in her pockets. “I’ve been gone for so long, they’ve no doubt stopped expecting me and moved on themselves. They probably know what I am now and hate me for it.”

Hana stood with her, lifting the umbrella to hold above the two of them again. Yuna was looking at the grave markers with sadness in her eyes. It wasn’t like Hana could sympathize. She knew she knew about her own mortality. But Yuna… Yuna just watched the world move on. 

She reached out, taking her hand from her pocket and giving it a squeeze. Yuna’s fingers tightened in response. 

“Pray with me,” said Hana. “And I’m sure they’ll hear.”

Yuna bit her lip, worry in her eyes, then nodded. “Thank-you.”

**

Sitting on their raincoats, with the sun now peeking around a few misty clouds, Yuna and Hana ate next to the burial mounds, each with their own small tribute on a plate. Hana couldn’t remember much of any of them, they’d all died when she was young. But she remembered each of them had been loving.

“Tell me about your family,” said Yuna. 

Hana chewed thoughtfully on a rice cake, wondering what might be interesting to Yuna, before taking a sip of bottled milk tea. “I was an only child until recently. My mother was Confucian, before she met my father, and she became Catholic. I was raised that way, but she always held me to old traditions. My little sister is very young - two years old. A surprise. But she came out perfectly.”

“What’s her name?”

“Mi-Cha,” said Hana. “She’s precious. And a bit stubborn.”

Hana loved her sister, but she still felt strangely about her sometimes. At seventeen, having a baby sister just as she was leaving for University was an… odd thing. She didn’t get to bond with her enough, so she felt more like an aunt sometimes than an older sister, though she tried very much to make it work as best as it could.

“So just a big happy family, then?”

“Well. Fine enough,” said Hana. “There’s worry lately, and they don’t want me to know I think. But I do, despite their attempts to keep me out of it.”

“About Mi-Cha?”

“Sort of. My parents hit a few rough patches, and they never meant to have another baby. It’s normal for women to have babies late in South Korea. My mother was twenty-eight when she had me. But forty five is very old. And their business suffered with mom having to be so careful with the pregnancy. They haven’t quite recovered.”

As she finished saying that, holding a piece of melon in her fingers, she realized the first thing she could do. How to be a good daughter, help ease the burden the family had between two daughters in expensive stages in their lives.

There was a sound of wheels crunching on the gravel and Hana looked up reflexively. She wasn’t expecting to see Jae-Eun there, pushing a woman in a wheelchair.

The woman was graying and frail, from what Hana could see, but not very old. Certainly no older than her mother. She had a picnic basket arranged on her lap and was looking ahead, holding a small umbrella over herself. Jae-Eun obviously had her nose, the quirk of her lips.

“Oh, hello,” she said quietly, making Jae-Eun jump and turn, the chair coming to a stop with him. 

A moment later he smiled, his confusion melting away. “Hana! Oh, mother. This is Song Hana and Lee Yuna. Friends of mine.”

The woman turned, smiling gently. “It’s good to see young folks still upholding traditions.”

“My mother raised me well,” said Hana, bowing her head. 

Jae-Eun’s mother coughed delicately into a handkerchief, but Hana thought she heard a deeper pain there. “We’re here to visit my family. Jae-Eun’s father is away on business. But I refused to miss this year, so Jae-Eun is taking me.”

“That’s very sweet of him,  _ eoneomnim,” _ said Yuna. 

Behind his mother, Jae-Eun blushed, but he still looked troubled.

“Have a happy  _ Chuseok,” _ she said, giving them a wave.

Jae-Eun waved as well, and they disappeared a moment later around a bend. Hana looked down at her food, then slowly closed it. 

“I had no idea his mother was ill,” she said softly. “He doesn’t talk much about home.”

_ How much does any of us? _

A cool wind made her shiver, and Yuna closed her food too. It was time to go, before more rain blew in. Hana was feeling cold anyway, as she got up off her jacket and stretched the stiffness out, before leaning down to gather the  _ seongmyo  _ lunch. 

There was so many people she could help.

**

If Yuna noticed Hana’s preoccupation, she didn’t say anything about it. Instead she allowed for a companionable silence, listening to the iPod that Hana had loaned her, determined to catch up on a few decades worth of missed music. The only real indication Hana had that Yuna might not be so oblivious was how the other woman would occasionally reach over and squeeze her hand gently.

_ Her fingers are so warm, _ thought Hana distantly at one point, when she returned the gesture and then wouldn’t let go.

In the apartment Hana put the picnic basket down. Without her mother and father she had no intention of doing  _ charyesang  _ without them, and she’d already received an acceptance from her father on that point.

There was more important things, Hana figured.

“I want to make a wish,” she said finally, turning to look at Yuna.

Yuna blinked, her eyes suddenly a stranger, reddish shade. “I thought so.”

Hana bit her lip. “Do you think it’s wrong?”

“No,” said Yuna. “If it’s what I think it is, it’s sweet.”

The other woman shifted off her borrowed rain coat and hung it up. Hana watched her, wondering if something was going to happen. Maybe she would transform into something else entirely, and wouldn’t really be Yuna.

But instead, Yuna just walked over to her. 

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah,” she said. “One hundred percent.”

With a little bow, Yuna spread her arms. The tables and chairs slid away from them both, pressing against the sides of the room. At once the lights flickered, and Hana took an uneasy step back as golden and red magic crackled at Yuna’s fingertips.

_ “It’s okay,”  _ said Yuna, her voice adopting a strange double-timbre.  _ “It’s safe.” _

She turned slowly, hands extended and fingers pointing down. As she did the magic trailed away from her and as if someone was slowly drawing, a shape began to take form, lines and words etching themselves to glow golden and form a magic circle around them.

Hana looked up from the words to see Yuna, and she almost jumped back. As Yuna turned, her ears had grown longer, delicately tapered. Horns extended from her ebony black hair, much longer than before, a deep red. Behind her, her tail was thicker, runes appearing on her skin, and her fingers and bare feet clawed. 

That was when Hana realized she was wearing something else, almost like a hanbok made of gossamer. She wondered for a moment if this was where the legend of the  _ kumiho _ came from. 

When Yuna’s eyes met hers again, all thoughts of that departed. She was otherworldly. Beautiful. Hana’s heart was beating fast, though she didn’t know if it was the nerves or just even the way Yuna looked.

_ “What’s your wish, Song Hana?” _

Hana swallowed, but stood up straighter. “I - I wish that something good will happen to my parents. Their business will recover, they’ll get an unexpected windfall perhaps… enough to raise Mi-Cha the way they want to. Enough to make them feel secure.”

Yuna nodded, then reached forward to gently cup Hana’s face. The room seemed to fade into black, or become infinitely huge, just the two of them there on the golden circle.

_ “The first condition of our contract is filled,”  _ she said, then leaned in and kissed Hana. 

Like both other times, her lips were warm, but this time Hana felt as if she was floating. Maybe she was, but she didn’t look, eyes fluttering shut, hands reaching up to touch Yuna’s wrists. It felt electrifying, the energy coursing through her body as Yuna gently held her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your support means the world to me! ＼\٩( 'ω' )و //／


	6. Cut Scene

“Seriously, I don’t get where he is,” said Hana, who was sitting cross legged and crouched, hands on the controller and a headset on. “It wasn’t that long ago that Seung-Hwa would grief me for taking too many bio’s, and now he’s just… disappearing whenever he feels like.”

Yuna was playing with her. She had surprising talent for someone who’s last introduction to video games was the system in which she was trapped, and anything she lacked she was quickly making up. Even the D.Stroyers were starting to like her during games where she filled in.

“Could always do the secret spy thing and figure it out,” Yuna offered.

Shaking her head, Hana took a sip of an energy drink. “No. I’d be major pissed if someone did that to me, as tempting as it is. He doesn’t even answer everyone’s texts. I hope it’s nothing serious.”

**_VICTORY!_ **

Hana smiled, putting down the controller before she stretched. “You are getting really good at this, Yuna.”

Yuna smiled, leaning back and looking at the play of the game. “Maybe I’ll have to find a team.”

“Maybe you’ll end up taking Seung-Hw- oh, one second.” Hana heard her phone start ringing and got up, climbing her bed to find it charging and stuffed under a pillow. Her parents.

With a hopeful smile, Hana answered the call.  _ “Yeoboseyo!” _

The flurry of excited talking made her laugh, giving a wink at Yuna, as she left. Of course, she’d been waiting for just such a call for a few days but Yuna assured her sometimes even magic could take time.

Between Mi-Cha’s excited squealing in the background, Hana quickly got the breakdown. An important investor had hired their accounting company, and offered a considerable sum and attractive contract, meaning work for many years to come provided everything worked out, and Hana knew it would.

“We even think Mi-Cha will be able to get into the preschool we want,” she said dreamily. 

“Mom, she’s only turning three soon,” said Hana, shaking her head.

“Well! She’s very smart, and needs the best education. I wish we had been able to afford to send you to such private schools.”

“I turned out fine,” she said. “Mi-Cha is what’s important, though, so I’m really glad that you guys are finally getting a break.”

“It’s like a  _ miracle.  _ Your father has been to church every day to give thanks.”

She wondered how happy her father would be to receive a miracle from a wish granting demon… or genie. Or whatever category Yuna  _ actually _ fell under, considering she wasn’t there to steal souls or eat the innocent. “You guys should celebrate.”

“Oh we will! Won’t you come home for a bit? Celebrate with us?”

“School is pretty busy, and so are my matches,” said Hana, “but I’ll try soon.”

“Good. Family is important. I wish we were still in Busan, but I’m glad now we made the move to Seoul. Oh… I completely forgot to ask, what with the travelling for  _ Chuseok. _ How was your doctor's appointment last week? Did they find anything?”

“...No,” said Hana. “They figure the migraines are stress.”

“Did the doctors give you medication?”

“Yes. But I have to get back to studying mom. And it sounds like Mi-Cha is causing havoc.”

“When is she not? Alright, I’ll talk to you soon. Good-bye.”

She hung up, hand shaking a little, and shoved her phone in her pocket. She didn’t like lying much.

There was a soft sound at the entrance to the kitchen. Yuna was tilting her head, one of her horns almost tapping the cabinet, her tail up like a cats, lifting the big t-shirt she was wearing. “Migraines?”

Hana smiled. “Yeah. From school I guess. No big deal.”

“You could wish them away.”

_ I know. _ “They’re just migraines.”  _ Ha. _ “Not worth a wish.”  _ Not yet. _

“Okay,” said Yuna, giving her a smile. “Hey, we should-”

There was a sound at the front door, the locks opening, and Yuna and Hana exchanged a panicked look before the demon disappeared without a trace, leaving Hana slightly frazzled when Dae-Hyun appeared.

“Hana!” He looked windswept, his hair mussed and cheeks rosy, but otherwise happy. With him came the scent of fresh take away. “It’s good to be home.”

She walked over to give him a hug, mostly thinking about how she was going to break the news about Yuna.

“Did you have a good  _ Chuseok?” _ he asked.

“Yes. We went to visit my grandmother and aunties for  _ seongmyo _ and I got a lot of homework and practice in.”

“We?” he asked, opening the plastic bag to pull out several containers. Hana was fairly certain it was noodle soup of some kind. “Did Jae-Eun or Seung-Hwa go with you?”

“Well…”

There was a sound from the hall. Now dressed more respectfully in a t-shirt and jeans was Yuna, her tail and horns vanished. She waved, looking sheepish. “Uh, hi.”

Dae-Hyun blinked. “Is… who is this?”

“This… is Yuna. She’s um… a friend.”

“A friend.”

Hana took a deep breath. “Long or short story?”

“Did you elope?”

“No!” she said, rolling her eyes. “No, she’s - well. I accidentally bought her before you left apparently and now she’s living with us.”

There was a silence for a moment, before Yuna giggled, which made Hana giggle and cover her face. Dae-Hyun didn’t seem to get the joke.

“What do you mean  _ bought?” _

“Honestly exactly what it sounds like. Remember that game cartridge?” She waited for his nod. “Yuna was living in it. Literally. She’s like a… genie from a lamp. She grants wishes and all that.”

“When is it the Americans celebrate their prank day again?” asked Dae-Hyun, turning away. “So who are you really, Miss? I didn’t bring a lot of food back, but there should be enough for three if Hana didn’t deplete the refrigerator.”

“It’s not a prank,” said Hana, leaning over to look Dae-Hyun in the face. “She really is a… a demon.”

“I am,” she said serenely.

Dae-Hyun sighed. “Hana… I’m tired. I’ve had a long journey. If she’s your girlfriend you can say girlfriend. If she is your friend or a gaming buddy, say friend or gaming buddy.”

Yuna sighed. “Alright.”

She snapped her fingers, several things happening at once. First, the containers zipped out of Dae-Hyun’s hands as bowls and chopsticks appeared, the table at once set with steaming, fresh looking soup and a plate of onion cakes. The second was her horns and tail appearing as if they had never been hidden.

“There, much easier,” she said, walking forward. “That looks like plenty of food, actually.”

Dae-Hyun’s mouth hung open, staring at her, the colour draining from his face, leaving it looking blotchy. A few surprised sounds came out, some stutters. He raised a finger as if to ask a question, then dropped it.

Yuna didn’t waste time, tucking into her soup, completely at ease. “Mm. I love Pho. Did you get chili oil?”

“Wh-”

“Surprise!” said Hana.

**

Eventually Dae-Hyun was able to be convinced to eat, though the dinner was peppered with questions about Yuna, her past, and her abilities, and whether or not she was going to steal their souls. Yuna seemed to take it all in stride, and she teased and joked at every opporunity. For learning that demons and magic exist, Dae-Hyun seemed to adapt fairly quickly.

Later on, after Yuna decided she wanted a bath, Hana joined Dae-Hyun in his bedroom. Where hers was organized chaos, his was neater, accented in muted blues and greys. There was no gaming rigs, no TV’s. Just a desk, his bed, his dresser, and personal items on many of the shelves. Awards from engineering projects and science fairs, sculptures and paintings he’d done himself, a secret artistry he rarely shared with anyone, and photos, many of those. Hana always felt at peace in there, with its clean lines and quieter atmosphere.

Still, Hana was still wondering if her friend might snap or something. After all, Hana had essentially just crawled into bed and tried to make it go away by ignoring it, not that it had worked. But he seemed to be fine enough.

Casually going through one of his bags, handing over items to be put away, Hana was chatting about their weekend.

“...And she’s  _ so _ good at games. My team thinks she could have a spot, easy, on ours if we had an opening,” said Hana, well aware she was gushing, a little at least. 

Dae-Hyun just chuckled. “They do, huh?”

“Yeah. Seung-Hwa even said so, though he thinks Yuna and I are dating, so his opinion is out.”

“And are you?” he asked, folding a shirt.

“No,” said Hana. “Haven’t you been listening?”

“I’ve been listening to you talk about her,” said Dae-Hyun. “You sure you don’t love her? Because it kind of sounds…”

She threw the next shirt at him. “No. I don’t.” She was blushing, however. “You’re being rude.”

Looking into his suitcase for the next item, Hana noticed an official looking envelope. Thick, too. She frowned, reaching in, noticing at once it seemed to be from the government. When she picked it up, however, Dae-Hyun snatched it from her hands at once.

“Family things. My mother has me holding onto it.”

_ It was addressed to you, _ she thought, but didn’t say as Dae-Hyun stuffed it into his dresser drawer. If she knew him well, and she did, it wouldn’t be in there long. He trusted her, but even he was paranoid enough to move it where she wouldn’t guess. She was almost worried enough that she’d consider looking, to know how bad it was.

“So what are you going to wish for?” asked Dae-Hyun finally, turning around and smiling. It seemed forced, but Hana went with it. For now.

“I already wished for my parents to get fresh business, and they have,” said Hana, handing him another piece of clothing. “I have three more to use.”

“That’s a lot of choices. Wealth? Fame?” he smiled, looking distant and like he had a serious craving. “A lifetime supply of apple flavoured  _ My Chew?” _

“That sounds like a you thing,” said Hana. “And… I don’t know,” she admitted. “I don’t want to waste it. That’s a lot of power for one person to have. And besides, Yuna’s been cooped up for years. She deserves lots of time out.”

“True.”

The suitcase finished, Dae-Hyun zipped it up and stowed it away in the closet, leaving Hana cross legged on the bed and contemplating. No, she wouldn’t wish for a lifetime supply of candy… but it did beg the question of what she should wish for.

Jae-Eun’s mother and Dae-Hyun’s mystery crossed her mind. After a moment, so did her own problems, but she was less concerned about them. There were too many possibilities. 

“What would you wish for?” she asked.

“Hmm.” Finished with his core, Dae-Hyun flopped down next to her, making the mattress bounce. Hands behind his head, he looked up at the ceiling contemplatively, one leg bouncing out in front of him as he thought. “I think a swimming pool full of candy does sound good. Or maybe I’d wish for my grades to magically rise in my English class.”

Hana flopped down with him, feeling completely safe as she closed her eyes. She and Dae-Hyun had been childhood friends, pals for longer than she could imagine. And even then she couldn’t really imagine what was going on in his head, or what thoughts or fears could be there. The envelope persisted in her head a moment, but she tried to brush it aside.

“So there’s really nothing big and serious you’d wish for?” she asked again, turning to look at him, reaching out to gently prod him in the side.

“No,” he said, not looking back at her. “I can’t think of anything. I suppose… that’s a good thing.”

She made a soft hum in agreement, her eyes closing. But she wasn’t quite sure if she was buying it.

Was Dae-Hyun telling the truth?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are the best!


	7. Fall Damage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so quick things: 1) I'm pretty sick right now, but it's unlikely to change soon. I have several kidney stones, so my time is alternating between loafing and being in a lot of pain. Also hospital visits. 2) I'm worried this is OOC. Like, so worried. Been agonizing over it for days. Might just be my anxiety talking.

“Are you sure you won’t change your mind?”

The doctor’s voice came from far away, but Hana smiled as she got off of the examination bed. The office itself was sterile and white, the blank broken here and there by stainless steel and a medical turquoise colour Hana tended to associate with hospitals and the people who died in them. Her boots clicked on the tiles.

“I’m fine, thank-you.”

The doctor sighed, and Hana didn’t meet his eyes as she went to the door, brushing her long hair over her shoulder. 

“Don’t forget your prescription.”

_ Right. _ Hana turned and took the piece of paper, folding it crisply in half, hiding away both the RX and the doctor’s name, before she tucked it away. “Thank-you Dr. Park.” She bowed, turned, and left.

The hall outside was still coloured white and turquoise, but somehow it reminded Hana less of death and more of an institution. She bowed as a nurse passed, and when she reached the waiting room she was sure to put the prescription into her purse. Dae-Hyun wasn’t the only one who would hide things.

Yuna and Dae-Hyun were sitting side by side, each in black fall jackets. Yuna, despite being just as pale and having black hair, seemed to be more colourful. Perhaps it was the red of her lips, or the way she was laughing at something Dae-Hyun was showing her. 

Hana’s heart squeezed in a funny way, when Yuna looked up and met her eyes. Yuna winked, making it worse.

“All done?”

“Yep,” said Hana, holding onto her bag maybe a little too tightly. “We should catch the bus.”

Outside the weather was unseasonably cool, feeling more like late October or November than the end of September. Hana walked between Yuna and Dae-Hyun, a little quiet as they walked through small puddles on the sidewalk and her two friends maintained a happy chatter. Overhead the sky suggested rain, but Hana didn’t mind. It would be refreshing.

With University started again, Hana had needed to find out what to do with Yuna. In the end they both discovered Yuna couldn’t simply stay at the apartment, or get up to her own trouble, needing to maintain a certain distance between the two of them, so it was settled she was now coming with Hana to University.

Not that Yuna seemed to mind after the first day. She enjoyed the people watching, or making up outrageous stories of Hana’s classmates just to amuse her. She liked Dae-Hyun, and getting to spend time with him as well. The only thing she did on her own was audit a theology class which lined up with Hana’s English class.

“For a laugh,” she said. Apparently the professor hated her, but yet somehow Yuna managed to charm him into letting her stay. Yuna insisted there was no magic involved, but Hana wasn’t exactly buying it. “It’s the only fun I can have, since you don’t want to skip and go have fun properly in the city.”

“I’m not skipping so we can get drunk every day and do karaoke.”

“But it’s  _ fun. _ And one little wish, and you won’t even  _ need _ all this academic drudgery.”

Hana, however, didn’t relent. She had more important things to wish for than just  _ that. _

The cafeteria was big and full of students, all chattering away and either eating lunch or studying in groups. Here and there some were participating in card games or board games. For some reason the loud chatter calmed her down, and Hana found herself smiling, especially when she saw that Jae-Eun had managed to save them a table. 

“Hana, do you want anything?” asked Dae-Hyun.

Considering her stomach, Hana shrugged. “Just a coffee. I’ve been a bit nauseous today, and I think avoiding food is good.”

He looked worried a moment, but nodded as he went to go stand in line. Yuna sat with her.

“Nausea? Is that why you went to the doctor?”

“It was a follow up. But he gave me medicine for it,” she said, a little evasively. “Hey Jae-Eun!”

He’d been spotted sporadically since  _ Chuseok _ , citing reasons Hana knew was false, at least around Dae-Hyun. He looked tired, a little worse for wear, but his hair was freshly dyed and he was smiling at least. 

“Hello Hana.” He was eating kimchi and rice, several books open in front of him. “Yuna.”

“Um… how is your mother?” asked Hana quietly. “She doing better?”

Looking a little sheepish, Jae-Eun nodded. “Yes. In fact, she really seemed to like the two of you. Said you both reminded her of when she was younger.”

She wanted to ask what was wrong, but knew better, offering him a small smile. “I hope she makes a full recovery.”

“I… appreciate that,” said Jae-Eun. “But she’ll need a miracle.”

_ A miracle, _ thought Hana, playing with her phone, remembering how sick she had looked, and how tired Jae-Eun always was.

Yuna dug into her new designer backpack and pulled up a theology textbook she’d somehow charmed out of the professor. “I need to study up for the next round of poking,” she said, in way of explanation. “I find his opinions on demonology within Christianity a little lacking.”

“I thought you wanted to take that course some day?” said Jae-Eun, looking up.

Yuna shrugged, offering him a grin, that seemed to make the boy blush. “Oh, well. You know. Sometimes when you’ve got a little first-hand knowledge you’ve just got to enjoy the little things.”

“First… hand?”

As the two of them talked, Hana opened up her English textbook to give a quick read over that days assignments. She was about to let herself get swept up in it when something made her look up, though she couldn’t say  _ what _ exactly. Perhaps a feeling, or a sense that something out there in the cafeteria was going to be a personal annoyance.

When she spotted Seung-Hwa with Kyung-Soo, she knew she wasn’t wrong.

“HEY!” Hana slammed her book down, making her companions jump. “Why is  _ he  _ with  _ HIM?” _

Jae-Eun turned to look, then sighed, coming back around. “Well… you know they were grade school best friends right?”

Hana made an angry catlike sound. “I don’t know  _ how. _ King is an arrogant dou-”

Yuna snorted, and Jae-Eun interrupted her before the tirade could start. Hana wouldn’t dislike King so much if he hadn’t been so condescending to her so many times, and was such an ungracious winner in the times he had bested her in video games. 

“From what I know, they reconnected and may even be, y’know. Dating.”

Hana gave the two of them the stink eye, putting her head on her hands and looking somewhat like an affronted cat. “Is this the reason he’s been blowing off  _ so many practices?” _ she complained. “To date our  _ enemy? THE enemy?” _

Dae-Hyun arrived a moment later with a chocolate croissant cut in two, and two paper cups with coffee, a caramel latte for him and a flat white without sugar for Hana. “Why do you look like someone has just trod all over your things?”

“Traitor,” she said, pointing condemningly at the two.

At that moment, Seung-Hwa began to laugh at something king said. They looked so  _ adoringly _ at each other. It made Hana sick.

Dae-Hyun just sighed. “They’re just dating. What’s the matter?”

Both Jae-Eun and Yuna sighed in unison. 

“The MATTER,” said Hana, sitting up, “is that we’re supposed to be practicing for an upcoming e-sports tournament for the University! And the winners get a decent scholarship! I mean, it’s big enough people recognize me in the streets, and there he is with  _ King  _ just laughing it up and blowing off practices.”

“Well, that is kind of rude,” said Dae-Hyun.

_ “Kind of?” _

She was grumbling in her throat as she picked up her half of the chocolate croissant and promptly began to shred it with her fingers into tiny flakey pieces all over her English textbook, silently fuming enough that she felt a headache coming on.

Dae-Hyun’s gentle pat to her shoulder didn’t help either. Hana made a vaguely cat-like sound, sinking lower in her seat once again, mashing the buttery flakes with her finger. 

“That’s a waste of food,” he said. 

“Mh.”

Yuna closed her book and gave Hana a nudge with her elbow, that Hana planned on ignoring, but she knew Yuna wasn’t going to give up, whether it was trying to make Hana smile or planting some new idea in her head.

“You’re captain, right?”

“No. But I’m next in line for it, if D.Viant ever leaves,” she replied.

“Well, why don’t you just ask him? What do you gain from turning food into crumbs and being upset.”

“...Nothing.” That wasn’t a bad idea. And while Hana knew it would be rude to just up and  _ demand _ to know what was going on, she could feel it prickling up her spine now. Seung-Hwa was her friend. One of the best on her team, on par with her own skill, though they filled different roles. 

Of course, he’d know how much she disliked King, especially after their first few less than kind clashes over social media and in tournaments. So it made sense why he’d hide it… though not why he’d date an an enemy in the first place.

“Okay, I’m going.”

“Don’t you dare fight,” said Dae-Hyun. “Do I need to hold your arms?”

“Hold  _ his _ arms maybe,” she muttered, tossing her hair and making Dae-Hyun groan. 

She stomped over, not bothering to check if any of her friends were following. King was apparently telling Seung-Hwa something funny, because they both laughed again. Seung-Hwa’s cheeks were crimson, and King picked a piece of rice off them.

_ What are they, in some damn anime? _

King looked up a moment later, and at once his smile seemed to flex from affection to amusement, his eyes focusing. He pushed away his half-eaten plate of  _ gimbap _ and folded his hands together as if he was some kind of anime villain, giving her a smile.

“Ahh… D.Va. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m not here for you,” she replied, her eyes moving to Seung-Hwa’s.

He looked embarrassed. Or resigned. Hana wasn’t sure, but either way the look  _ hurt. _ She started wishing she hadn’t just breezed on over, but it was too late now.

“Hana, can I text you later?”

“Would you remember?” she demanded. “Like the way you remember practice?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it, before he shut his textbook and stood, brushing his hair back from his eyes. “Give me a moment, Kyung-Soo?”

King just grinned. “Why leave? I can tell her.”

“Tell me  _ what?” _

Seung-Hwa sighed. “I have already told the captain. D.Viant was supposed to tell you soon. I… I’m joining  _ Honor Guard.” _

Honor Guard. King’s team. 

“What.” Her face was starting to turn red, which annoyed Hana. Because she already knew if she got angry enough over this she might get tears in her eyes. She had a tendency to be an angry crier when it came to people she wanted to suddenly hit.

“Well, we got another sponsor,” said King smoothly. “And Overlord and I play well together. They agreed to up the package if Overlord joined us, and we offered a very good deal. After all, when we win this tournament, we’ll have national spots. A chance to join the league.”

Feeling sick, Hana’s fists bunched, nails biting angry little crescents into her hands. “Overlord, huh? You’re selling out? Is that why you’re dating him too? The  _ perks?” _

“Hana, I-”

“Save it,” she said, holding up her hand. “I don’t want to hear it. It’s fine. Whatever. We’ll find someone new. Enjoy the perks.”

She turned, fuming, heading back to the table where Dae-Hyun was already standing and Yuna was looking on edge. At once she began slamming her books, shoving them into her bag. Hana needed to get away. Her headache was going to be too much for English if she tried to stay.

“Do I need to beat someone up?” asked Yuna.

“No,” said Hana. “Maybe humiliate them when you join the D.Stroyers, though.”

“What?”

Hana didn’t reply at once, refusing to look over at Kyung-Soo or Seung-Hwa as she shouldered her bag.

“Karaoke. And beer. Now.”

Yuna shrugged, flipping her book closed. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Dae-Hyun? Jae-Eun?”

After a moment, Jae-Eun shrugged. “Sure. I was only studying anyway.”

Dae-Hyun looked troubled, but after a moment he sighed and began to pack up as well. “Just this once.”

The way he said it made her feel guilty, but she shrugged it off. “Sure. Just this once.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hana has her reasons for blowing up. And it's not just Seung-Hwa leaving...


	8. Grinding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank-you for the well-wishes. After those first few days, it's been relatively pain free, and I have my appointment in a few days so they can see what they can do. Hopefully without much in the way of pain... ＯＴＬ I am a baby.

“You can’t keep this up. I can tell, it’s hurting you,” said Dae-Hyun. “It can’t just be stress.”

“It  _ is _ just stress,” Hana insisted. “And I could probably be eating better.”

For the last week Dae-Hyun had been on her about her health. Hana was practicing whenever she wasn’t at school or doing homework or out with Yuna on brief ‘sabbaticals’ as the demon called them. She wasn’t eating well either, her diet mostly subsiding of instant noodles, plain white rice and kimchi, or chips. It was now late October, and Hana was starting to feel it. Feel  _ everything. _ Headaches, weakness… 

“And drinking less.”

Hana flapped her hand. “Once a week-”

“-More than that, I think-”

“-isn’t that excessive.” She finished, giving him a pointed look. “My grades are up, my ratings on the team have never been better. Just because I get a couple headaches and a little tired doesn’t mean anything.”

He sighed, sitting down next to her. The low chair in front of the TV - bright red, for Yuna - squeaked a little. The demoness was somewhere else, presumably getting ready for their next scheduled ‘sabbatical.’ Hana didn’t put down the controller, though, letting him watch her play  _ Mega Man X. _

The silence ticked on for a few minutes, interrupted by Mega Man’s blaster and the sound of a maverick attacking. She was determined to ignore Dae-Hyun as long as possible, honestly. She did not want to talk about her health.

“You promise you’ll tell me when you’re ready?” he asked.

_ I’ll tell you when you tell me what you’ve been keeping secret, _ she thought with a sigh. 

“Mm.” It was all he was getting, for just then. Fortunately that’s when Yuna arrived, looking cute in red plaid pants and a black wrap around hoodie. It was Hana’s cue to go. “We’re going to go meet Jae-Eun for that movie.”

Dae-Hyun sighed again, getting up and leaving. Hana knew that wasn’t the last of it.

Fall was still chilly, and now that it was late October she knew it wasn’t going to be long before the rain came and - maybe - a chance of a touch of snow. Still, Hana liked autumn. She could wear cute boots, nice warm hoodies, leggings with skirts. She felt cute, walking alongside Yuna. 

She wondered if Yuna found her cute as well.

Their last kiss had been the wish, but Hana sometimes found herself thinking of it. Laying next to Yuna at night she’d turn to look at her sleeping face and think about it. Yuna seemed an easy flirt, no one off limits, which was one of the reasons Hana hadn’t brought it up, either the kiss or her feelings in the matter.

Those soft lips… the way Yuna had so gently held her face. That tingling feel of energy that made Hana feel like everything was going to be alight.

It made her think of what Dae-Hyun said, or what Seung-Hwa had assumed. 

_ Would it be so bad? _

Standing in line for sweet potato lattes, Hana felt her phone buzz. She hesitated a moment, distracted by the way Yuna seemed to be dazelling the barista, but she looked down.

**在恩:** I don’t think I’ll make the movie - let me try for after. 

She wondered if it was Jae-Eun’s mother again as she tapped out a quick, well wishing reply. 

Jae-Eun’s voice echoed in her head.  _ She’ll need a miracle. _

Hana looked up at Yuna, who smiled back as she caught Hana’s eyes, as if she’d already been watching. For a second Hana felt like they were the only two in the cafe and her cheeks suddenly burned, making Hana look back to her phone.

Had to get a grip.

Outside they held their latte’s and sat down on a bench watching the world go by. Already Hana was sort of looking forward to the potential of snow, the chilly air, even relaxing in a hot spring with Yule around the corner. 

“What’s ‘Halloween?” asked Yuna, leaning forward to look at a sign not far away.

Hana followed her gaze. The sign was announcing a pub crawl of sorts, covered with pictures of jack o'lanterns and bats. “It’s an American thing. Or an English thing, I’m not actually sure? But in America little kids dress up and go door to door for candy, and people drink. I think the University has a zombie walk. That’s where everyone dresses up and pretends to be a zombie and shambles down the road.”

Yuna tilted her head. “Why do they do that?”

“I think… it’s to ward off spirits or something,” she said slowly. “Don’t quote me. I don’t know much about those customs.”

“Dress as a spirit to ward off a spirit? Well… that’s not a bad plan,” said Yuna. “They can’t take you if they think you’re one of them.”

The notion that spirits were actually wandering around taking anyone was vaguely alarming, but before Hana could press for clarification Yuna was continuing on.

“So… can we celebrate?”

“I’ve never actually participated before. It’s kind of a little kid thing. Or simply a drinking thing.” She considered it a moment. “Well… the University puts up all kinds of things, and there’s parties on the beach… you really want to?”

“Hell yeah I do! This sounds like fun! What kind of costumes do people do?”

“There’s some cosplay, some who like to use it as an excuse to dress kind of skimpy, some go scary, some go cute, or superheroes… I think there’s a costume shop not far from PNU.”

“Can we go? Please?”

Hana smiled. “What about the movie?”

“We can catch it with Jae-Eun another time! I want to look at costumes!”

++

As ever, when Yuna became inspired Hana had a hard time saying no, which was why after they finished their latte’s they caught a bus down towards the PNU. A quick text between her and Jae-Eun had him much more enthusiastic for this, able to squeeze in some shopping between studying and home.

Jae-Eun was waiting for them outside of the costume shop, a heavy book bag slung over one shoulder. His roots were starting to come in, adding a fine layer of black to his otherwise perfect silver hair, and he looked a little tired, but he perked up the second he saw them both.

Yuna gave him a customary cheek kiss, making the boy grin, and Hana just waved. “Yuna wants to go to all of the Halloween parties,” Hana explained.

“Of course! This is the first I’ve really heard of it,” she said. “A holiday just for drinking and candy? Americans sound great!”

Jae-Eun laughed. “Well, I suppose it’s time I bought a new costume. I’ve been a pirate for several years now. What will you be Hana?”

“I have no idea,” she said. “I’ve always been busy.”

Inside they were greeted by a cackling skeleton that hung from the door and the billows of smoke machines on the floor. There were decorations, cut out bats hanging from the ceiling, and music Hana thought she recognized from a horror film she had watched before playing on the speakers. A few groups of people milled about, almost all of them exclusively early twenties, with one or two small families looking for costumes with their children. Attendants were there wearing various costumes to showcase them, but their costumes seemed to be a league beyond what was sold. Clearly they all were cosplay professionals.

Looking fascinated, Yuna angled off to one side of the store, leaving Hana and Jae-Eun to follow after.

Hana wasn’t a huge cosplay fan, mostly because university and her e-sports took up too much time for sewing and preparation, but she had done the occasional charity event when provided a costume and enjoyed it. 

Yuna didn’t seem interested in popular culture, glossing over things like Disney and superheroes, and instead headed to where the more ‘scary’ costumes were like witches, zombies, or-

“Oh my god,” Yuna laughed, picking up a sequined devil horns and a tail. “So we’re pop culture now.”

“We?” asked Jae-Eun.

“You know, devil’s like me,” Yuna replied. She slipped the headband over her hair, putting a finger to her chin, and looked over at Hana.

“Very cute,” said Hana.

“Awh, but I want to be frightening! Or sexy.” She took them off, setting them aside.

Jae-Eun drifted towards a wall of theatrical looking costumes, leaving the two girls still staring at the various assortment of demon cosplay.

“I like your real ones better,” said Hana quietly.

“But people will realize those aren’t fake,” said Yuna, walking down the shelves. “These costumes and props all seem so tacky… but I bet it’s fun. Eating candy, drinking, pretending to be something scary.”

She ran her hands over a short black dress in a gothic lolita style, fingering the fabric with a far away look in her eyes.

“You okay?” asked Hana.

Yuna shrugged. “When I granted your first wish… did you find me scary?”

Hana didn’t have to think hard to bring the memory back, considering she visited it enough over and again. Yuna had been breathtaking, despite the alienness of it all. “No, not at all.”

“Really?”

“I trust you.”

“I’m a demon,” said Yuna, her voice getting a little rough as she dropped the dress, letting it swing back and forth on its rack. “You shouldn’t trust any of us.”

“You haven’t tried to steal my soul.”

Yuna walked among the shelves, brushing her hands over things here and there. “That doesn’t mean I haven’t done anything in this world that isn’t worth my punishment.” 

There was a pause, leaving Hana at a loss to say, before Jae-Eun was calling for them. “Hana! Yuna! One of you should match with me!”

As if the conversation had never started, Yuna turned with a flip of her glossy black hair and headed straight for Jae-Eun.

Yuna brightened, spotting the costumes in his hand. “I know that legend. Red and the Wolf? We should go as them. It’d be cute!”

Hana hung back, watching the two of them talk animatedly about the costumes. To be honest, Hana felt a little jealous. Wasn’t that a costume for couples?

As she watched, though, she noticed sticker on Jae-Eun’s bag she hadn’t spotted before, fresh but cheaply made and already peeling. As the two of them turned his bag caught on a display and the orange sticker curled and fell off, landing on the carpet.

She paused a moment, knowing it was probably none of her business, before she walked over and stooped to pick it up. 

It was a hospital visitors sticker, she realized, and at once crumpled it into her hand, squeezing harder when she was called over to the changing booths. Before anyone could see she’d pocketed it, her mind made up as she put on a big smile for Jae-Eun and Yuna.

++

“Really?” asked Yuna when they were back at home, both lounging in Hana’s room with vintage Gameboy’s and a pot of tea. “You want to wish for something?”

Hana sat down next to her. “It’s not that unusual is it?”

“No, I just figured you’d keep taking your time is all,” she said. 

“I’m in no big rush for the last two,” said Hana. 

Yuna sat up, looking serious as her horns appeared and tail unfurled, gently draping over her hips. “So what’s this one for?”

“I wish Jae-Eun’s mother would get the miracle she needs to pull through what’s hurting her.”

Yuna closed her eyes a moment, then nodded. “That I can do. You’re really selfless, you know that?”

As Yuna’s form began to shift, and Hana felt her heart begin to race.

_ I’m not so sure about that, _ she thought, still unsure about her final gift, as the room changed and the walls all seemed so far away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank-you all so much


	9. Quick-Time Event

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I get to wait another 10 days before anything might be done about my kidneys. But they're behaving themselves at the moment so that's what's important. I'm hoping to have the story done before the end of October! (I'm about a chapter ahead at the moment. As a new one gets done, the one behind is posted).
> 
> Time for some dramatic reveals.

Hana might have controlled the playlist, but she didn’t control the volume, as much as she wished she could just turn it down to a reasonable level. In fact, she also wished she could just chase everyone out of the apartment and lay down, put something cold over her eyes, and  _ sleep. _ The last week had taken both a toll on her sleep as well as her liver. 

Not that she wasn’t having fun. Honestly, Hana was having a blast. Even with the tournament coming up, only a month away, she was sneaking away for dress up events with Yuna. So far she’d worn several costumes, though she was back wearing an elaborate black gothic lolita dress and cat ears, adorned with pearls.

Just then she was in the hallway, a plastic cup in hand as perky K-Pop lyrics played on bluetooth speakers over the chatter of voices. She wasn’t sure where Yuna was, though Dae-Hyun was talking to a friend of his from his engineering course.

Sipping her drink, a spiked fruit punch Yuna insisted on serving from a cauldron, she was wool-gathering when someone threw an arm around her.

“Hana! I’ve been telling anyone, but I bet you won’t believe it!”

It was Jae-Eun, grinning ear to ear. She could guess what it was about.

“What is it? Yuna kiss you?”

“She’s your girlfriend, isn’t she?” he asked, shaking his head and making her blush hard under her makeup. “No, it’s about my mother!”

“Oh!” she tried to ignore the girlfriend quip. It was her own fault for joking about it. “What’s happened?”

“Well I didn’t tell you, but she had cancer!”

At the word a tiny cold root seemed to crawl its way into Hana’s heart. That was a piece of information she  _ hadn’t _ had before. It wasn’t her business to know.

“Oh? I’m sorr-”

Jae-Eun waved his hand. “No! The news is she’s in full remission! They thought all the radiation and chemo had failed, but suddenly the tumor was small enough to operate! Once they had it out it was like a miracle! She insisted I come tonight to celebrate.”

Hana blinked. “So it didn’t disappear, just shrank?”

He nodded. “Yes. It was basically inoperable. It would have done too much damage to remove-”

Hana sucked in a breath, the little cold root growing longer and deeper, branching out. She wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to keep breathing as he explained, his chatter animated and excited.

Someone called Jae-Eun’s name in a flurry of activity meaning someone else had arrived, but Hana didn’t feel like being a good host. The second the other boy turned she fled straight into the bathroom, knowing her bedroom was being used for gaming.

The door shut behind her and she leaned, trying to breathe, head against the mirror.  _ No, no, no.  _ That wasn’t supposed to be how it  _ worked. _

There was a heavy sound of a few shampoo bottles spilling to the bottom of the tub, which made Hana yelp. She spun, eyes wide, thinking she’d missed someone in there but there was Yuna looking concerned.

Hana clutched her chest a moment, cursing, and then sat down on the toilet. “Rude,” she said.

“I felt you panic.”

“I - you felt it?”

“We are connected,” she replied, walking out of the tub to kneel next to her. She brushed back Hana’s hair with a gentle hand.

“And how much do you feel?” asked Hana, leaning over to put her elbows on her knees.

“Your worry,” she said. 

“What about my health?”

Yuna’s brows pinched. “What do you mean? I can check if you’re sick if you want…?”

Hana shook her head, looking up at the wall. “Disease. How does your magic do with that? Jae-Eun said that his mother was still operated on.”

Her friend’s answering look was worried, her hand gently drawing back to rest on her knees. Hana had the distinct feeling she was trying  _ not _ to do whatever magic could alert her to Hana’s moods. “I can’t heal disease. I’m not a Jinn, or other spirits who possess powerful magic. If I could, I’d probably also be able to really grant wishes like true love. And the wishes thing isn’t even what I’m supposed to do.”

She took a moment to look up. “What are you supposed to do?”

“In payment for what I did, I granted small miracles.  _ To the one who held the cursed blade, victory was granted until the stronger might take it. _ When times began to change, I adjusted my terms within what I was allowed. Thus, wishes.”

Hana swallowed, feeling sour. “What do you mean, in payment?”

Yuna looked down. “Magic deals especially hard to those who… sin, one might say.”

“Yuna…”

The other woman shook her head, black hair shading her face. Even without seeing her eyes, Hana almost felt the static of magic that suggested they’d turned purple as her other form grew closer. All she could feel from her friend was anxiety. 

“How exactly does this contract between us work?”

Yuna licked her lips nervously. “It doesn’t have to be the way it’s written.”

_ “Yuna.” _

“How do you think a sword passes to another owner?”

Hana stared at her. The first answer that popped in her head was like an heirloom… but she knew that wasn’t the answer. The shadows seemed to grow deeper around the demon, but Hana wondered if it was just her perception.

_ She’s meant to kill me, one way or another, _ she thought.  _ She’s like a death curse. _

When Yuna’s hand reached for hers with a plea for forgiveness Hana pulled her hand away. This woman who she was starting to get feelings for-

A knock at the door made them both turn.

“Just a minute,” said Hana, standing up, smoothing her dress.

“You can wish me away,” said Yuna quickly, reaching out and taking Hana’s hand. “You can force a sword away too.”

“But what if I don’t - what if I  _ can’t?” _

There was another knock, and Yuna’s fingers were a trembling vice around hers. She squeezed back, and was too afraid to turn around and look. She’d break. There was too much. No miracle to save everything, no way out of the deal. Yuna was what she was. And Hana was what she was.

“I’m dying already,” she said, turning to give Yuna a little smile, before opening the door.

There was a puff of air and Yuna’s fingers were gone. She didn’t need to look behind her to know she’d vanished somewhere. 

“Sorry Jae-Eun,” she said, stepping out. “Here you go-”

“It’s not that. It’s just… you might be cross,” he said, then glanced down the hall, brushing back his hair nervously before replacing his top hat. 

“Why?”

“Seung-Hwa and his  _ boyfriend _ are here.”

Hana might have been upset at any other moment. Now she was just resigned. The word was out, at least to Yuna. She felt as though there was something - a physical, breathing being - living in her head with its claws sunk deep. 

“That’s nice.” Hana felt like an alien. Or a robot. “Who wants some  _ soju?” _

**

She was drunk. Yuna wasn’t there. Dae-Hyun wasn’t there. But Jae-Eun was. In fact, they were cheerfully drinking on the roof, screaming out lyrics to songs they both loved. Hana knew her meds were going to react yet again to the heavy toll drinking was taking on her, shortening her day by day. But she didn’t care.

_ Dead girl drinking, _ she thought, and laughed, holding Jae-Eun’s hand and looking up at the sky. It was dim, hard to see the stars through the pollution of light. But there were a few there, twinkling away.

Hana got up, walking away from Jae-Eun, who was butchering an American pop song, and she went to the ledge. Down below the street was bright, and cars were driving even this late at night. 

“Check me out,” she said, getting up on the ledge, heels and all. 

“Jeez, Hana, careful!” called Jae-Eun. “Get down.”

“I’m fine,” she said, holding her hands out as she walked, stepping as though walking a balance beam, though her steps were a little shaky. 

Turning, she looked down at the street, and held her arms wide. “Too bad I can’t fly,” she said, looking back down at the colours and lights.

_ How long would it take? Would it hurt very much? _

Probably not.

“Hana!”

She stumbled, surprised, at the shout. It hadn’t been Jae-Eun. Once her arms had stopped pinwheeling, she turned to see both Yuna and Dae-Hyun on the roof.

Yuna snapped her fingers, and Hana felt as though a vice had taken over her. Against her will, she flew from the edge to land in front of her furious roommates. Behind her Jae-Eun made a strangled sound, but she was past caring who learned Yuna’s secret.

“I was just playing.”

Dae-Hyun made an angry sound. “Playing?  _ Playing?  _ Yuna said - she said-”

Hana turned, crossing her arms, tossing her hair. “You mad I’m keeping secrets? Because you are too.”

“My conscription isn’t nearly as bad as this!”

Conscription. The official looking envelope, addressed to him from the government. Sometimes of course, men could put it off until after college. Usually only if you were getting a doctorate, however. And when the call came you’d be off to a ‘training camp.’ Like most of the population, she knew more like what it was. Bad pay, long hours… practically a work camp.

Hana felt her knees buckle, and at once there was a chair to catch her, breaking her fall. Yuna, again. The material was warm and supportive. Hana felt like she was going to puke.

“When?”

“Soon. I meant to tell you, but… I wanted the right time.” Dae-Hyun walked around her, kneeling. Hana felt her cheeks get hot with tears and she sniffed, swaying drunkenly. When Yuna gently held her arm, she didn’t rip away. 

“I’m dying,” she croaked, taking a deep breath of air, wiping at her face. “A - a tumor. Inoperable. They wanted to try anyway, and do radiation and chemotherapy, but the chance of living is so slim…”

Yuna’s grip turned talon-like. “Wish it away!”

“That’s no guarantee!” said Hana, hiccuping. “What’s the chance, huh? It gets small, I get my head cut open-”

Yuna came around her, tail whipping, horns long, eyes furious. “Just try! It’s better than wishing things for everyone else! Be  _ selfish!” _

Hana sniffed, wiping at her eyes. 

“Just try,” said Dae-Hyun, “for us at least. Yuna told me how concerned you were, over Jae-Eun’s mother… how she’d mostly gotten well due to luck. It could be the same with you.”

Hana sighed. “I guess I’ve been holding on to a tiny scrap of dumb hope, putting it off as long as I could. Now I just wish you’d stay as long as possible.”

_ CRACK. _ It was like the roof was breaking up, and the wind suddenly kicked up, making Hana’s hair whip wildly, her skirt ruffling up and causing her to yelp. It was strong enough even the chair lifted for a moment, almost as though a typhoon had suddenly struck. Jae-Eun was running for them, and Hana grabbed his arm to keep him from careening past, or stumbling.

An almost mournful growl made her turn to look.

_ “NO!” _ Yuna screamed, and there was a sound of crackling static, like metal in a microwave. A sharp, angry noise, completely different from every other time she’d manifested in her true form.

She was changing, magic forming at her feet, molten gold lines extending out into her magic circle. It was like she was fighting it though, hands shaking, eyes squeezed shut as she strained. Her horns were growing longer, tail changing, claws extending. 

She opened her eyes, purple and wet with tears.  _ “Hana why did you say that?” _

“I-”

Yuna walked forward, each step reluctant, slow and dragging like her body was a puppet but she refused to give in. Eyes wide and frightened, Hana watched every step as she realized what she’d said. Her fuck up.

Yuna made it to her side, and at once it was just the two of them on a rooftop, the wind mournful and howling.

_ “The third condition of our contract is filled,” _ said Yuna, her voice broken. Defeated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ↜(╰ •ω•)╯Look it's Yuna! Try to let it distract you from how angst ridden this chapter is....


	10. Leeeroooooooy-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As anyone may have noticed, my chapter titles are all text shortcuts and gamer slang. This one I'm less proud of.

Blood dripped down Hana’s lip, her chin, soft muted drops onto her shirt. Her hands were tight on the controller, ignoring it as she played, eyes fixed on the screen, oblivious to everything else around her as she concentrated. Her headache was steady, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was her rank, her ability. Watching them drop, one after another.

Hana parted her lips, the clock counting down as the victory music began to swell. 

_ Close, close, close -  _

**VICTORY!**

“GG WP,” she yelled, her fist pumping into the air. “We owned those noobs, just like we’re gonna own-”

She coughed, her voice cracking. She had a cold, one being treated with antibiotics in the chance of an infection. It was causing her nosebleeds, and it was only then as blood speckled over her fist that she noticed she even had one.

“Shit. Disconnecting,” she said, logging out and picking up tissues to mop at the blood. Yuna was still playing, she could hear her at her new computer, but she ignored it as she stemmed the flow from her nose.

Feeling sad, Hana got up and weaved past Yuna and trying not to draw attention to herself as she went to the bathroom. Her headache only felt worse under the bright white lights of the bathroom.

“Shit.” She said again, looking at her reflection, the ruin of her shirt.

Closing her eyes, Hana had to try to concentrate. Time was running out. She knew that. It was barely a week from the party, and despite the somewhat sedentary turn her life had taken - avoiding both school and partying - things were getting grim.

“Hana?”

She looked over, meeting Dae-Hyun’s eyes. He looked at the mess and sighed. “You should-”

“Nope,” she said, “I’m just fine.”

Hana picked up the cloth and mopped at the blood, tossing the bloody tissues away.

“I was going to say take better care of yourself. You know I’m busy now, since I’m staying, that I have to catch up.”

She glanced at Dae-Hyun and nodded. “I know. I’m sorry.”

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her hair. “I mean it, though, Hana. Don’t push yourself. If you want time, give yourself time. Don’t take it. I’m going with some classmates to the library.”

“...Bye.”

She turned on the water, watching the blood swirl down the drain. Had to take her meds. The steroids for the headaches, the antibiotics, the pain killers. The antidepressants. The pill bottles rattled in her hand. Capsules filled her palm.

A glass of water. Swallow it down.

A sigh.

Yuna was still playing when she walked back into her room. Yuna was chatting with her teammates, her tone different. Fake, at least to Hana’s ears, like it had been for the last week between the fights and the begging.

With her horns out, pressing back the headset, her tail tapping on the floor, Hana had no illusions about who Yuna was.

“Hana you getting back on?” Yuna glanced over. “Because we-”

The drop of her eyes to the blood staining her shirt told Hana what was going to happen. At once she stripped it off, tossing it aside.

The computer was off without another word, the lights flickering.

“You’re getting worse.”

“It’s just the cold. Tumors like mine don’t cause nosebleeds except on TV.”

Yuna growled, a catlike sound. 

Hana ignored it, picking up a new shirt, getting into a pair of old jeans. A glance at the clock told her it was almost time to leave anyway. Jae-Eun had invited her to his mother's place so they could work on motorcycles together, a project mostly left on the wayside the last few months. While Hana didn’t own a bike, she enjoyed working on Dae-Hyun’s when she had the chance.

“Remember we’re going to Jae-Eun’s?” she said, tying her hair back.

Yuna glowered.  _ “You _ are.”

“Don’t you kind of have to be around me?”

“I don’t feel sociable,” she replied, tossing her black hair. “You won’t see me.”

Hana sighed. It had been like this ever since the party. The coldness. She missed Yuna’s devil may care attitude, replaced with the protectiveness and the resentment. 

Hana shoved on a pair of boots. “Enjoy whatever it is you’ll do then.”

Yuna huffed and disappeared before Hana flicked off the lights. It was strange, though. Despite the empty room, Hana knew she wasn’t alone. Also since the party, Hana was aware of Yuna in a new way. Sensing her.

Pulling on a medical mask, Hana left the apartment.

**

While she’d been in the garage plenty of times, Hana had never actually been inside of Jae-Eun’s home. It suited her fine, especially now. She didn’t want to see his mother, despite wishing her well. She imagined Yuna’s looks, the pleading in her eyes to use the final wish Hana would be damned if she used before absolutely necessary. No, she couldn’t handle that. 

The garage was heated and warm, smelling like engine oil and the after-scent of welding. Jae-Eun provided beers as they worked, and Hana let herself get lost in taking the carburetor out of Dae-Hyun’s old Honda and cleaning it. They were just doing basic maintenance. Cleaning up their bikes, oil changes, checking the brakes.

“No Yuna?” asked Jae-Eun after a bit.

“Nope,” said Hana. 

In fact, she couldn’t even really sense Yuna. Perhaps she was amusing herself somewhere nearby, within her radius. Or brooding on a lamp post. That wouldn’t surprise Hana even a bit.

“You two fighting?” he asked after a moment.

“Does it matter?”

“A little,” he said. “Aren’t you dating?”

She tossed a rag aside, looking up at Jae-Eun. “Everyone thinks that.”

“Because you look at her like you love her,” he replied, puzzled. He rolled forward and sat up, wiping his hands. His own bike was a much newer, more graceful looking Honda, all sleek lines and a beautiful white paint job. “Don’t you?”

“I…” she sighed, reattaching the throttle cable and the choke to the carburetor. “I don’t know.”

He watched her work. Hana tried to ignore him as she lubed the boots, getting ready to reinstall. But of course he wasn’t satisfied with her answer. No one seemed satisfied with her answers lately, as if they thought Hana was still keeping secrets instead of just being a painfully open book now.

“So you have one more wish. Why not use it?” Of course Jae-Eun knew everything now. Yuna hadn’t exactly hid her magic from him. 

“Because she’ll be gone once I do.”

“I thought Dae-Hyun said she could be bound to a friend?”

“But that’s just it, isn’t it?” She didn’t look up, pushing the carburetor into place carefully. “She’ll be bound to him, or you, or someone else. They’ll have their four wishes. And she’ll have to stay in their radius. So whoever gets her has to stay near  _ me. _ And if it’s you or Dae-Hyun, one day she goes to boot camp along with you. And I’m just as bound to the two of you as she is.”

She got down on the ground, reaching up to connect the fuel line. “And even when I do wish, Jae-Eun, my tumor is complicated. The reason I never went for chemo, and radiation, is because it was basically considered non-op in the first place. So my wish might not even work if it doesn’t heal in just the right ways.”

“Does that mean you should just give up without trying?”

She paused, her hands going still. They were covered in grease. “I don’t know anymore.”

When she was done she replaced the fuel tank, still quiet and contemplative as Jae-Eun finished what he was doing as well. 

“We should test drive them,” she said.

“I didn’t know you had your motorcycle license.”

Hana held her finger to her lips. “I’ll be fine.”

Jae-Eun rolled his eyes. “Dae-Hyun will kill you.”

_ Yuna will kill me, _ thought Hana. But all the talk about her body, illness, her demon problem… she needed to blow off steam. And she could think of no better way than riding a bike high speed down the road.

“You too scared to race me, hot shot?” she said, picking up her helmet.

While Hana was the easy pick when it came to who would win in a video game, Jae-Eun was the only one who’d actually raced professionally, a hobby he had on the side of his school work. At once his lips twitched, and Hana could feel the challenge working. Never mind his 1200 cc’s to her 600 made him the choice for a winner.

“I’m blaming you if anyone loses it on us.”

She giggled wickedly, strapping on the helmet, finding her gloves and jacket. “Nothing will go wrong. Promise.”

The engine roared to life without much trouble, idling with a loud purr. Despite the late hour, Hana enjoyed revving the engine. It wasn’t too cold out that night, with a low of seven celcius, so the tires would be fine. She needed this. Bad.

Together they roared out of the garage, turning onto the quiet residential street. Hana felt wicked as she turned the throttle and kicked into the next gear, burning down the street. Alone in her little world, Jae-Eun behind her, she let out a whoop of exhilaration. 

It almost felt like this is what she was meant for. In her imagination, Hana saw herself as a pilot dodging enemies. When she twisted the throttle she imagined firing her guns or rockets before weaving through the return fire. In another life, it’s who she’d be, not a video game but  _ really _ living it while the world chanted her name.

The streets were emptier of traffic but still busy enough that you had to keep your wits about you. The two of them moved in and out of traffic, past busses and cars, finding pathways down gutters or on the dividing line of traffic, pushing the speed limit little by little. 

Ahead a light turned yellow and Hana revved her engine at Jae-Eun before peeling out into the intersection, laughing as a few cars honked at her and the two of them made it safely across. In the distance the ocean was glittering, and Hana imagined Yuna gliding above her, or maybe jumping from line to line on power poles like she was in an anime. 

As her mind turned to Yuna she felt her, like a piece of a puzzle sliding home. Yuna was there. She was watching. And she could feel a mixture of frustration and amusement align in her chest, like Yuna didn’t want to approve. Like there was still the daredevil in her.

Taking a corner hard, the bike dipped dangerously low and sped up even faster.

_ See? I’m safe. _

As she righted herself, the street clear ahead of her, she looked up and saw the red light of the intersection a hair's breadth away. Her right foot began to press, but there was a moment of disconnect, her left hand twisting instead as the world around her flashed white, a buzzing in her ears, a flare of headache bursting at the base of her skull.

The brakes squealed and she turned, feeling the adrenaline spike through her system, making everything clearer.

The strike of the concrete as her bike turned sideways and dropped, the engine still snarling. Her elbow burst in pain as she bounced off the pavement, hearing the scrape at the leather of her jacket and jeans. Hana let out an ‘oomf’ of air as her head bounced off the ground as well, safe in her helmet, but even that was enough to make the flare of headache stronger. 

A horn blasted and Hana realized she was rolling fast, tumbling into oncoming traffic. She saw the delivery truck five feet away as the bike slid underneath of it, coming out against the gutter on the opposite side. The white line was beneath her head and Hana tried to stand, looking up into more headlights, more honks. Screams. She yanked off her helmet, needing to breathe-

And a woman in front of her with a whip thin tail and horns raising her hands. An enfolding embrace and weightlessness before she was flying. The street was so far below. She couldn’t see the bike, or even the glitter of a smashed side view mirror. 

Hana looked into Yuna’s purple eyes, hair whipping around her face. 

“I see you,” said Hana in a daze.

Yuna shook her head. “You’re such an idiot, Hana Song.”

Hana closed her eyes, the headache bleeding away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoooooo. I wonder (if I don't jinx myself) if I'll be done before the end of October.
> 
> Probably. And extra thanks to everyone who comments, you seriously make my day, and make it easier to keep writing even when I feel discouraged or anxious.


	11. WooHoo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, that title

“ _ Hana.  _ Just use the wish before-”

“No! And if you ask me that again, I’ll use the last one for you to stop talking!” snapped Hana, climbing the ladder to her bunk bed. Her cheeks were still cold from the wind of Yuna’s rescue, and her phone was blowing up with texts from Jae-Eun demanding to know how she’d not only disappeared but also managed to teleport the bike safely (damaged) back to the garage.

Yuna responded with a snarl, feral and terrifying enough that Hana jumped looked over her shoulder.

She was on the ceiling, sitting upside down and defying gravity, even with her hair. Once again Yuna was back to being the demon, fully and completely. For a few glorious moments on the road Hana had felt Yuna connect in her own mind and felt her  _ want _ to be the person Hana was craving to just help her forget.

But now… Yuna was protective, but also angry and resentful. 

Hana felt tears prick behind her eyes yet again just thinking about it. She knew she’d been stupid, and was continuing to do so. But she  _ couldn’t _ wish for it now. It didn’t matter to Yuna, but Hana refused. She wouldn’t lose her, or cut Yuna’s time out short, just because of that.

She had maybe a month or so. Yuna would get every second of that month. Hana was adamant about that as well.

Glaring over at her roommate Hana rolled over, pulling her blankets clear over her head. She felt messy and dirty as she pressed into her pillows. Her neglect to shower was only made worse by the sweat that had broken out during the accident. She didn’t care, though, that she was sweaty and her hair was a little lank. She just wanted to  _ sleep _ after her fright, after the surprise nausea and white out.

Feeling nothing but sick guilt over it, as she pushed her face into Tokki, her stuffed rabbit, and sobbed. For the first time since Yuna got there she felt all alone in her bed. She’d gotten used to the other woman sleeping next to her, and felt very alone just then.

At the sound of footsteps she didn’t turn, or at the presence she knew was crouching above her, staring. She didn’t want to look up to see Yuna’s purple and accusing eyes.

“Go away. You want space, go have it. Sleep in Dae-Hyun’s room,” muttered Hana into Tokki’s belly.

“If I wanted to do that I would,” said Yuna icily. “Budge up.”

“No.”

There was a push of magic, sliding Hana against the wall. She moved to kick, but then Yuna was crawling in after her, an arm sliding around Hana’s waist, a chin on her shoulder, soft breath in her hair. Even the sensation of a tail slowly wrapping around one leg was comforting and familiar, and eased some of her anxiety, if none of her irritation.

“I don’t have to go far, Hana.”

“Mh. I’ll wish when it’s time.”

“Hana-”

“ _ When it’s time.” _

Yuna huffed. “You remind me of my mother.”

Hana thought about pretending to be sleep. Ignoring Yuna until she got angry and left, or something similar. Or at least until they both fell asleep, angry with each other, and bound to wake up that way. Just thinking about it made one of Hana’s headaches threaten.

She didn’t want to be mad at Yuna, though.

“...What was your mother like?” She wasn’t sure Yuna would answer, but she was curious.

After a moment Yuna’s hands busied themselves with Hana’s hair, making the slighter girl shiver. It was a long few minutes before Yuna began to talk. “Tall, for a woman at the time. Beautiful. She was the picture of Korean beauty, I suppose. Hair as black as ink, pale. But she was also strict. In the society I was raised, it was very different as I’m sure you know, affection was in private.”

“What was it like…? Was it as horrible as it sounds?”

“Worse,” said Yuna, with a bitter kind of mirth in her tone. “I was being raised to be a good wife. My family were  _ chungin,  _ middle class. My father was a swordsmith, and he was training his nephews. He was cursed with daughters, he’d always complain. There were three of us. Mother loved us though, and tried to show it as best she could. She died giving birth to a son when I was fourteen. I was left in charge of the household, so to speak.”

After a moment Hana rolled to face her, keeping her feet back, but watching all the same. Curious. Imagining the life Yuna had had in the feudal era.

“I didn’t come by the magic honestly,” said the other woman, rolling on her back like it was easier to do the telling without looking Hana in the eyes. “I came by it stupidly. My father had cursed me, and accused me of jinxing a sword I had touched. He was very strict, believing that only those trained were allowed to handle it, and never a woman. Women were inferior, you know. I was angry. So I stole his best blade, one promised to some important  _ yangban _ noble who lusted for me, and I ran.”

Hana imagined it, Yuna in her fury. Her own anger at Yuna’s long dead father, who so obviously abused his own children, threatened to take her over, but she held back from interrupting the story.

“Do you know what a  _ kumiho  _ is?”

“A demon fox,” said Hana, before her eyes widened. “ _ Those are real?” _

“I exist, Hana.”

“I know but - go on.”

Yuna shook her head, but she was smiling a little. “The  _ kumiho _ found me sobbing in the rain. She was the vengeful sort. I guess she liked killing men. Maybe that’s why I agreed to whatever she had in mind. I wanted to be strong. But  _ kumiho  _ are also tricksters.”

Hana blinked. “So your deal…”

“Without thinking, I agreed to the  _ kumiho’s  _ terms. She would ensure none of my father’s line would go on, I would become her servant. It seemed better than what my life was up to then. I was a rebellious child, after all. Internally, perhaps. But I was. That was when I was bound to the sword.” Yuna’s lips curled. “She used me to ensure my family line didn’t continue.”

Hana felt as though she’d swallowed ice.  _ Oh. _

“I deserve this Hana,” said Yuna, watching her face, brushing her hair back. “I deserve being wished away, locked up again. I’m not a sword so I can’t be used to kill, and now I just grant wishes to atone. It’s okay to wish me away to save yourself.”

Hana’s lip quivered. “You think I can just wish you away after hearing  _ that?” _

Yuna opened her mouth to protest, but Hana’s hand covered it. “Uh uh. All I can hear you say is you went into one form of slavery to another. Atone all you like, but you got a raw deal. And I’m not going to be the one to snuff out the first happiness you’ve had in a quarter century.”

“It’s not the  _ first,” _ said Yuna stubbornly. “Just… the best.”

It was with a burst of clarity that Hana knew she could say it. Do it. Kiss her. Hold her. Their feet seemed to be touching again, and it would take nothing to reach out and draw the two of them together.

“That’s why I’m okay if you wish,” said Yuna. “Because I care about you so much.”

Hana’s eyes dropped, tears springing to her eyes as she started to cry. “Yuna. I love you,” she drew in a breath, trying to wipe away tears.  _ “I love you, I-” _

When Yuna kissed her Hana expected it to taste differently. The few times she’d fantasized about it being outside of a contract she imagined the sweetness of candy, or the aftertaste of alcohol lingering with a cocktail. Or perhaps even something else altogether, something borderline magical and otherly. Instead it was the salt from the tears, a bitterness that was turning sweet as their tongues met. 

_ I love you, _ thought Hana, letting Yuna roll her so she was on her back. Her black hair was a curtain around the two of them, the soft scent of apples from shampoo filling Hana’s senses. Their fingers entwined with one hand, Yuna braced with her other. 

_ I love you too. _

The thought wasn’t hers, a whisper in her head, but Hana wasn’t scared. Yuna was soft against her, the curves of her body gentle. When Hana felt something slide against her leg she gasped, tightening up, and Yuna pulled away.

“I- I can be more human-”

“No,” said Hana, realizing it was just Yuna’s tail. It curled around her ankle, thin and warm, gently squeezing. “No it’s okay. I like you, and I like who you are. What you are.” 

“...You do?” she asked, her voice vulnerable. 

“Yeah. Your eyes… your tail, your horns. I love you.”

Yuna sat up then, not high enough to bump the ceiling, but enough that Hana could get a proper look at her. Yuna hesitated a moment, hands clasped in front of her chest, an anxious look in her eyes, before she moved them down, clothes melting away.

Hana actually let out a small whine. Yuna was soft and pale and beautiful, everything that Hana’s late night and secret thoughts had imagined. Her soft, round breasts and pink-brown nipples. The dip and swell of her hips, the soft curve of her belly, the patch of dark hair between her legs. 

But there was more as Yuna leaned over her. The texture of her skin hardly seemed to change as Hana chased the transformation with her fingertips, but she watched as swirls and patterns the colour of pale violet appeared on Yuna’s skin. Behind her, two small wings appeared, fluffing like a newborn birds - or bats - before they stretched and then relaxed.

Her ears, longer now and tapered to a point, twitched with worry as she assessed Hana’s reaction.

“You’re so pretty,” said Hana, wonderingly as she traced the patterns, eyes wide.

“It doesn’t bother you?” Her wings beat once, nervously. As if she was expecting Hana to run screaming.

“Why would it?”

Yuna’s lips twitched in a smile before she leaned down again, tail waving behind her as her lips claimed Hana’s, this time with more urgency that left Hana breathless.

“No one’s ever seen me like this, naked like this,” she whispered when she pulled away. “Just you.”

Hana sat up and pulled up her own shirt, nervous and hesitant. Her breasts were a little smaller, but she didn’t feel inadequate with the way that Yuna’s eyes drank her in. She leaned in, drawing the other girl to her into a kiss, heart fluttering faster as their breasts pressed together, rubbing and causing a pressure that made Hana moan. 

Soft and snaking, Hana gasped as Yuna’s tail slid along her thigh, the tip curling around the crotch of her panties and pulling them down, making Hana flush up, embarrassed to be completely naked around someone else, like this, for the first time.

“Is that okay?” asked Yuna.

Hana merely nodded, her skin near crimson with apprehension, but she didn’t pull away. “I’ve just - I’ve never-”

_ Had sex. _

“Oh.” Yuna considered it a moment, then shifted so she was at Hana’s slide, draped along her. Her soft lips began to kiss along Hana’s throat, a hand cupping her right breast and gently massaging, rolling the hard nub of Hana’s nipple between her fingers. “Just relax.”

Hana laughed nervously, but then Yuna tilted her head and kissed the sound away. As she massaged Hana’s chest, her tail once again slid along between Hana’s legs, this time, slowly rubbing at her labia, as if in question. When Hana’s breath hitched she pressed again, the tapered tip drawing halos around the little bud.

The younger girl gasped, her legs twitching, the one not pinned lifting up, foot shifting back on the mattress. Yuna didn’t let go, however, her motions still gentle, building into the sensation, not touching directly  _ there _ but still stimulating her in ways she’d only ever tried by herself. 

But she’d never been this wet before. Hana could feel the sheets grow damp as Yuna’s hand slid down her body, replacing the touch of her tail with the gentle massage of two fingers on either side of her clitoris. 

When Yuna’s tail pressed again, Hana spread her legs, arching back as the warm tip slipped inside of her. 

_ “Ah-!” _

“Tails are useful,” giggled Yuna, gently nipping at her neck, fingers working faster. “Feels good?”

“Just don’t stop,” said Hana, turning so she could kiss the other girl, leg hooking forward, pinning Yuna’s arm between them. 

Alone, Hana thought she knew how to touch herself. The few orgasms she’d had were satisfying, and she gave little thought to more experimentation. But as Yuna’s tail pressed deeper, wide and soft and slick, and her fingers worked faster, Hana realized there was much greater pleasure to be had.

Inside of her Yuna pressed against something that left her gasping, a pressure that mirrored her outside touch. Above her the ceiling, covered with little plastic stars, seemed to grow and twist, the stars getting bigger, the gaps between them wider. Yuna’s thumb pressed, rubbing firm circles, not quite letting Hana escape when the sensitivity peaked.

Hana screamed, nails turning to a vice, hips coming off of the bed, toes curling as her chest heaved. And Yuna’s tail fucked her through it as her hands held onto Hana’s sides, easing her through each shudder and twitch, until she slumped bonelessly back to the bed.

Yuna kissed her neck, her tail gently slipping out of Hana, leaving her feel a little empty. 

“Don’t rush to come back to me,” said Yuna with a laugh, watching as Hana blinked heavy eyelids and groaned, heart still pounding. “You need your rest. And we have all night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THEY SAID IT THEY SAID IT


	12. GGWP

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello. So I'm having a bit of a family emergency of the waiting and worrying at a bedside kind. But because my folks don't want us to crowd in I'm mostly home and playing Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley (I have a problem). The kidney's are good, though :')

Electric music was the first thing Hana heard, before the roar of the crowd. It was a remix of one of Lúcio’s songs,  _ We Move Together As One,  _ a song that never failed to get the hairs rising on her arms. When the doors opened in front of her the music was lifting, the lights above bright enough to illuminate the room but dim and coloured enough to mute harsh colours. Hana felt like she was stepping into a rave as the screams swelled with the sound of clap sticks. Despite the cranked air conditioning the interior was humid with bodies, all swaying and dotted with points of neon light and glow sticks and the occasional flag or poster.

She couldn't help it. Hana grinned. It was the coolest thing she’d ever experienced looking out into that crowd.

“A big round of applause for the fourth team entry for PNU’s fifth annual E-Sports tournament, the D.Stroyers!” yelled an announcer, standing on the stage ahead of them, his arm swung towards them in greeting.

The clapping and yelling turned into screams. A few signs were lifted higher. Hana thought she recognized her rabbit on a few of them.

“First we have the team captain, D.Viant!” 

Byeol Myung walked forward, looking confident in her leather pants and team shirt. She had her arm up and a few signs were waved in her direction as she pumped her fist, blue hair practically glowing under the lights. She was a support and DPS flex, with deadly rankings.

“D.Jay!”

The only boy on the team ran forward, clapping his hands. Ji-Hoon Park raised his arms and the crowd screamed for him. He was a well known DJ for student functions, extremely charismatic and popular. He was one of their tank mains.

“D.Lux!”

With a toss of her long blonde hair, Min-Ji Gim walked from Hana’s side, waving delicately at the crowd. She was a fashion icon at school, rumoured to be watched for her own clothing line, as well as the best tank Hana had ever met.

“D.Lettante!”

Sun Choi pushed up her glasses and walked out, her steps measured and dignified as always. She was the best support on the team. She bowed low.

“Our fan favourite, D.Va!”

The screams built and Hana bounded out, her game face on, any nervousness left behind. Her iconic whiskers were already painted on her cheeks, and she wore her headphones with their gently pointed ‘ears.’ 

Like an idol, Hana paused for effect, raising her fingers in a peace sign and blew a kiss. The crowd went crazy.

“And, in a surprise change up, the mysterious newcomer to the D.Stroyers - D.MON!”

Yuna walked out, her hand raised. The crowd cheered, though a little quieter. Everyone knew her stats, but she was still a mystery. Though, according to online polls, that only made her more interesting. Dressed in red, and wearing demon horns she’d crafted herself magically, she looked sexy and alluring.

_ She’s mine, _ thought Hana more than a little smugly. 

“As you’re no doubt aware, the D.Stroyers have crushed the resistance so far in our tournament, breaking down the walls of their opponents, Digital Chaos and Fanatic, ending both rounds with a  _ shattering  _ four match lead. They’ll go on to face Honor Guard, whose team contains a new addition who was once one of their own. Will a grudge be the driving force behind them?”

_ As if. _

“And now, may we introduce the other team for our finals match, Honor Guard!”

The crowd went crazy again as the D.Stroyers took left stage, turning to watch as the others were introduced. Fan-favourite and captain, “King” Kyung-Soo, made Hana clench her fists just a little. She had nothing against the others, Black Queen, their only girl, Knight, Cavalry, and Rook. But she cut a burning stare as ‘Overlord’ was announced.

Seung-Hwa walked up, bowing, as mild as ever. He didn’t look over at her until he turned to take his spot and their eyes met. 

His head dipped in the tiniest of nods.

“They cut through both Prime and Carbon. The rivalry between their captain and fan-favourite D.Va is no secret, nor is the change up of Overlord. This could prove to be the most exciting Finals that the PNU Tournament has ever seen!”

They had to shake hands, one by one. When Hana got to King she met his smug smile and tried not to return something milk-curdling in response. His grip was hard, like he was trying to intimidate her.

“May the best man win,” he said.

“Oh, I will,” she said, returning a predatory smile.

“Cocky.”

“Talented.”

**

The music muted, Hana stood in the bathroom. Away from the gymnasium she had a moment to breathe as she opened her pill box and looked down at them. The little pink morphine pill for breakthrough pain sat on the top. She swallowed, reaching down to pick it up.The others were sterioids and antiemetics. 

She’d get through this.

As she swallowed a few handfuls of water to get the pills down, feeling as if they were sticking in her throat stubbornly, the door opened.

“You ready to go?” asked Yuna.

Hana splashed extra water on her face, glad for the waterproof paint of her whiskers when she looked up to meet her steady, determined gaze.

“What’s left?”

“We’ve got a minute or two before they expect us in our chairs.”

Hana picked up the small box of pills and shoved them in her pocket. She put on her game face, but Yuna just shook her head and leaned in, kissing her firmly. Hana’s heart fluttered.

“You sure you’re okay?”

Hana waved her hand, taking Yuna’s with her other. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

When they walked out of the bathroom Dae-Hyun and Jae-Eun were waiting, both of them wearing D.Stroyers merchandise and holding clappers, looking excited. She giggled as they rushed her, the four of them drawn up into a tight hug. 

“We’ll be screaming the loudest,” promised Jae-Eun.

“You better be,” said Yuna with a laugh.

“No magic?” asked Dae-Hyun.

“Just skill.”

Hana smiled, accepting kisses on the head from both of her friends. She didn’t need to say anything. Sure, she was a little nauseous from taking her pills, but she’d make it through. She wasn’t going to let this stop her. This was her night.

“I’m going to wipe that smile from King’s face,” she said confidently.

“We’ve got to go though,” said Yuna, gently prodding Hana, before waving at Dae-Hyun and Jae-Eun. “See you after.”

When the four went through the fire doors and back into the gymnasium the sound picked up into a roar again. Hana was back to grinning. The rest of the team was waiting at their computers, screens above that would be depicting the action on standby. 

Across from them she could see King and Seung-Hwa standing. She met King’s eyes and he grinned at her. Seung-Hwa merely bowed his head.  _ I’m gonna beat you, _ she thought, steeling her own gaze.

Her first big tournament. And she could feel it in her chest that this was the first of  _ many. _

Death be damned. She plugged in her headphones and put her hand on the mouse, the other on her keyboard as the rest of her teammates took their seats. Next to her, Yuna reached over to squeeze Hana’s hand, her thumb working in comforting circles.

“Yeah. I’ve got this.”

**

Hana was so focused on the match her headaches were on the wayside, and the sound of the crowd was faded and unimportant. She was rigid in her chair, eyes flashing over the screen. As the team’s main Flex she was always ready to switch roles as required, especially versus King. 

Yeah, she might be mad at Seung-Hwa. But King was the source of all her ire.

Yuna’s hand gently pat her hand or thigh on occasion, between deaths. Yuna was keeping up as a pure DPS, proving her best skills were on defence when they were controlling a point or on escort. Each game was a constant give and take, pressing to the wire, to the second. Hana was glad she’d decided to pack a little extra deodorant, and that the runners hadn’t had a problem with her request for non-stop energy drinks and ice chips.

She was sucking on one as she changed her own choice. It was 3 to 3 for games and at a tie-breaker. She  _ couldn’t lose. _ Not now, not like this.

_ “A sniper?”  _ asked D.Lux.

“You got a better idea?” asked Hana. “They keep getting around you guys and shredding through the tanks. At least this way with a couple headshots I might clear them out. Then Yuna can hold them at the choke.”

_ “I’m already on it.” _

_ “I’m boosting you in,” _ said D.Lettante serenely. 

Hana grinned as she took down Cavalry with a headshot.

The voices around Hana raised in a sharp crescendo only seconds later as the game tilted and the overtime timer appeared, yelling in her ears as the other team struck. If they could just -

_ “GET THEM OFF THE POINT AND WE’VE GOT THIS GAME IN THE BAG!” _ yelled D.Jay, in a near eardrum shattering volume.

_ “We can do this, we got this!”  _ D.Viant’s voice was strained.  _ “Overlord down.” _

Hana leaned over the keyboard, taking a shot mid-air. “Knight down.”

_ “Black Queen down! Cavalry inbound from spawn.” _

Hana had King in her sights, her teeth gritted as she tried to dodge while he chased her down, hands shaking as her teammates called out their own deaths and cool downs. 

_ Close-close-clo- _

The death sequence hit her at the same moment it hit King. She was grinning at the counter in the corner. Simultaneous. It would have annoyed her if that hadn’t cleared him from contesting.

The Overtime counter slid to zero as Yuna cleaned up at spawn, taking out Cavalry and Overlord neatly.

**_VICTORY!_ **

The gymnasium broke out into screams. Hana was grinning, looking up at the killfeed, as well as at the cameras showing Honor Guard. King looked angry, while Seung-Hwa politely clapped, a furtive smile on his lips.

Somehow, that too was worth it. Her friend was still proud.

Play of the Game went to D.Mon, and Hana laughed, throwing her arms around her girlfriend and kissing her cheek excitedly as everyone watched with a neatly timed ult and some fast moves Yuna succeeded in taking out five of Honor Guard’s team.

High fives all around, Hana felt giddy with the rush.

They won. First prize. Scholarship money, sponsors, a chance at big leagues.  _ Nationals. World Cups.  _ New followers on her Twitch. A nearly all-female team winning a match like this, with a chance at Nationals, was big. Maybe even international news. The competition would be  _ steep. _

Hana couldn’t wait.

She squealed as Dae-Hyun’s familiar arms wrapped around her and hoisted her out of the seat, but she loved the attention. Loved the way Jae-Eun joined them so she could sit on their shoulders and look out over the crowd. 

_ We did this! _ She thought, arms reaching over her head as she looked up.

The lights caught her eye, flickering. A strange sort of fog descended over her, a sense something was wrong, or something was coming. She breathed out, her legs twitching restlessly on Jae-Eun and Dae-Hyun’s shoulders as she swayed.

“Hana?” Yuna’s voice was foggy. 

Hana blinked slowly, the lights seeming to grow bigger. And bigger. The noise of the crowd was fuzzy and strange. She tried to respond to Yuna, but her words came out slurred and she felt limp. Like a teddy bear, she felt as though she was made of nothing.

Her eyes closed as her muscles gave out and she swung back and out of Dae-Hyun and Jae-Eun’s grip. She hardly felt the ground when she collided with the hardwood floor, though her head was yanked from how her hair was pinned beneath her. The ground rumbled around her from the vibrations of feet and talking.

A loud sound… someone singing? Screaming?

On the gymnasium floor, amidst the high of their win, Hana began to convulse. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger? What cliffhanger.


	13. Permadeath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the reason this took so long. My grandfather passed away, and my interest in a lot of things has waned over the last few months. But I'm trying to get back into writing again.
> 
> I'm in decent health though, and have had some time to just try and reset. Thank you for your patience.

The music had stopped and the crowd was strangely hushed. Hana remembered that. But every other memory was disjointed and jumping, as if her timeline consisted of loops and breaks, a jagged zig-zag of colours and flashes and voices. Hana could smell sugary sweet energy drink, flowers, the sting of antiseptic, a crowd, all at once. There were screams and questions and beeps and rumbles. Pain of an IV and her head and nausea-

One second Hana remembered the victory lights morphed into white and blue and red. Warmth to cold, and for a startling moment staring at a sky reflecting orange city light filled with little white dots that seemed like falling stars. Then back again, on the carpet, with faces leaning in, concerned people there for her, a crowd that wouldn’t go.

Hana blinked, and saw  _ her mother and Mi-Cha. A hospital bed and - _

_ \- a hospital ride, rumbling along in an ambulance. Yuna in her demon form hovering at her side - _

_ \- dad this time, saying a prayer- _

_ \- an MRI - _

_ \- watching a plastic bag drip saline - _

_ \- blessed darkness - _

And the loop returned once more, the crowd returned. Hana tried to tell them it was okay, but she had trouble answering or even understanding. But the crowd was  _ hers  _ and she’d gone and made a scene. Hana remembered thinking she had to be polite to every one of them.

She remembered trying to smile, but her face stretched wrong and Yuna looked like she might cry. Dae-Hyun was talking to two people with uniforms and official sounding voices. No one made sense. Jae-Eun looked pale and small.His roots were coming in.

Darkness, again. That was the best. Restful, instead of the kaleidoscope of colours and pain and morphine fog.

**

“...Honestly it’s amazing she did what she did.”

Hana tried to open her eyes but they fought her, exhaustion weighing down on her. She felt like she’d been asleep for days, her head full of blurry dreams, with red and blue flashing lights, snow. Loud noises and brightly light tubes, the scent of disinfectant. She had fallen off of Dae-Hyun and Jae-Eun’s shoulders… but the ground felt suspiciously soft, and she felt warm. The roar of the crowd was gone. Something was beeping intermittently, and when she tried to shift her hand something tugged painfully.

Mouth feeling like it was full of cotton, Hana focused on her eyelids again. She  _ had _ to open them.

“Is there really nothing that can be done?”

_ Mom? _ She wanted to ask, but again her lips moved but nothing else happened. No sound. She was fighting the heavy fog, her mind whirring over questions.  _ What happened? Where was she? Why was mom there? Where was Yuna? _

“Honestly, she insisted no one else be contacted. At the early stage, we felt it was because she would break the news to you. We tried to insist on chemotherapy and radiation, but she told her oncologist that she was discussing it with family first.” He sighed. “We should have considered that the tumor had impacted her decision making, and made arrangements for a medical proxy.”

Her mother made an impatient sound Hana associated with times where people best just agree with her, lest they receive a the scolding of a lifetime or a swat with a wooden spoon. The images came back with startling clarity, as if she was there for a few scant moments. The sound of footsteps receded, a door slid shut.

Hana swallowed, working her tongue against her lips to wet them. Her voice cracked as she tried to speak again. “...Mom?”

“Hana?”

The sound was hard, like a spike driving through her skull, and she winced, her head turning as her eyes finally obeyed and opened. 

She saw the turquoise wall first, slowly tuning into focus. A shelf with medical supplies, another heavily laid with flowers and teddy bears, a stuffed rabbit. A hand painted sign that said ‘GET WELL SOON.’ She realized that she’d been there long enough for a few of those flowers to wilt.

A gentle hand wiped at her lips and Hana looked up to see her mother. 

“You’re awake?”

Hana swallowed. “Where’s Yuna?”

Her mother’s brows pinched. “You don’t mean that girl who pretended to be your girlfriend, do you? She’s not allowed in.”

Hana mustered a glare, waving her mother off. “Water. Then Yuna.”

She tried to sit up, her body protesting. She still felt as if she was laying under a blanket of fatigue, as if she hadn’t just woken up from a long sleep. Each movement was sluggish, pathetic. She couldn’t even drag herself higher in the bed.

Her mother found a glass of water, mostly ice, and held the straw to Hana’s mouth. Grudgingly, Hana let herself be tended to before she tried to scramble her way up higher again in the hospital cot. Nothing worked.

“Just relax. I’ve texted your father, he’s on the way with Mi-Cha.”

“But I want Yuna,” she said, her head aching. Stubborn. 

“Are you really dating her?”

Hana swallowed again. She felt helpless. 

She felt like she could just die, and it would be too late for her final wish. Just the thought made Hana’s face screw up before she sobbed, tears forming despite how dry she felt. 

“Mom I’ve been so  _ stupid.” _

A cool cloth wiped over her forehead and Hana sniffed again. 

“The doctor said you had remarkable endurance. To do your tournament, and keep so focused despite your medication and your pain,” she said gently. “While you should have told us, perhaps you have more time than it seems.”

“How long have I been here?”

“You don’t remember?”

She shook her head, suddenly worried about that.

Her mother sighed. “About a week. You’ve been conscious a few times, but the doctor said your memories could be blurry. You mostly spoke nonsense before, until the swelling went down.”

“And Yuna hasn’t been here?”

“Oh she’s been  _ here.  _ But not in the room. She’s very persistent, that girl. I think she also puts Dae-Hyun up to it. Hana, why didn’t you tell us you’re gay? Or is it a… university thing?”

Hana mustered another glare. “I’m not discussing this now.”

“I think we should! There’s so much you have been hiding, Hana. I hardly know you anymore. You - you won a gaming tournament, you have a girlfriend, you’ve been lying about your grades, you have  _ cancer -  _ how am I supposed to recognize my daughter anymore?”

Hana squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold out on something. Anything. But then her lips trembled, and more tears leaked down her cheeks. “Look I know okay? But what does it matter now?”

“It matters because I don’t want to say goodbye to a stranger, if we have to say goodbye.”

_ We probably don’t. _

“I love her,” said Hana finally, wiping at her eyes. “My grades suck because the only thing that could keep my mind off the pain was gaming. And it’s why I ended up on a team and in a tournament.”

Her mother sighed, then reached over. “I love you, Hana. No matter who you love. I know I haven’t always… been the most supportive, when it comes to those matters. But I’ll be damned if I go into any future at this moment without moving past that.”

Hana’s tears broke out fresh. “M-mama-”

Her mother stood, leaning in and pulling Hana’s shaking, thinner frame against her body. Feeling how much bigger and solid her mother was only cemented the weight she had been losing, how sick she really was.

“I’m s-s- _ sorry!” _

She knew it wasn’t okay, which was why she just accepted the soft kisses on the top of her head, feeling like she was little all over again.

“HA-NA! HA-NA!” 

Hana looked up in surprise as her sister, two years old and chubby, began to try to climb up onto the cot. Her father, just behind, lifted Mi-Cha onto the blanket. At once the little girl slammed into her midriff, making Hana wince a little, but she held onto her tightly.

“She’s been worried sick, though I don’t think she knows why,” said her father gently.

_ I’ll try to make everything right, _ thought Hana, closing her eyes.

She still had a wish, after all.

“...Can you go get Yuna?”

**

Doctors came and went, explaining upcoming procedures. Her first chemotherapy appointment the next morning. What radiation would entail. Everything she’d already researched before being explained again, this time with her parents watching the proceedings. She didn’t bother trying to talk her mother and father out of the idea that they needed to be her healthcare proxies, even with Yuna offering to doctor their impressions and choices. She was too tired to fight anymore, and needed to bide her time. 

At least, though, she had Yuna and Dae-Hyun. Perhaps not as often as she liked, and always under the supervision of her parents, but they were there. 

Like much of Korea, Hana’s parents were stricter. Catholicism mixed with Confucianism didn’t often make for the most tolerant of upbringings, including same sex relationships, but her mother stayed true to her word, genuinely wanting to know Yuna, though it had to be mostly little lies until they figured out some kind of plan. 

It wasn’t like Hana had any real plan beyond the wish forming in her mind. 

The word permadeath kept floating around in her head, rattling like coins in a can. She wouldn’t know what Yuna approved of until they got some alone time.

“You sure you don’t want me to spend the night?”

It was late. Her father was cleaning up what was left of their hospital meal into the trash, and Mi-Cha was playing with her toys on the floor, making one doll look after another. She was clearly inspired by the goings on around her. 

“I’m sure, mom. You deserve a bed. A  _ real _ bed.”

Her mother chewed her lip. “Yuna will stay…?”

Hana blinked in surprise. “If I ask her to.”

The gears were turning in her mother’s head before she nodded. “Well, I don’t see the harm.”

Her father stooped, picking up Mi-Cha, who let out an undignified squawk to be carried to the bathroom to wash. Clearly, he was giving them a few moments alone.

“I like her,” said her mother after a moment. “So does your father, and Mi-Cha. She seems to have a good head on her shoulders, and she certainly loves you. She’s one of the most devoted history majors I’ve ever met.”

Hana had to fight a smirk off her face. Well, it was easy to know everything if you lived it.

“Though I’d prefer it if she got a  _ real _ job one day.”

“She wants to be a teacher,” Hana lied.

“Right,” said her mother. “I’d feel better with someone here. If Yuna doesn’t mind… you should text her. We love you, Hana. And tomorrow won’t be so bad. You’ll see.”

_ Maybe not for me, _ she thought, meeting her mother’s eyes. Wondering if she had the guts to go through with the vague plan. Knowing what would happen. The two choices they had to face for the future.

Yuna arrived moments after they left, having been hovering in the hospital anyway.

“American couples are fascinating,” she said, sitting down at her bedside. “They got food poisoning from a food cart and they started arguing over whose fault it was and threatened divorce over the entire thing. Do you suppose the entire country is like that?”

Hana laughed weakly. “I doubt it.”

“Maybe it’s just because it was their honeymoon.”

“So that’s the extent of your hospital gossip?”

“Well, I was right about Dr. Chen, the Chinese doctor? He’s sleeping with your nurse. Your  _ married  _ nurse.”

“Which one?”

“The boy,” she giggled.

Hana snorted.

It was nice being alone with her again. She’d missed it. While she liked that her family was embracing the relationship, she’d missed having Yuna all to herself. 

“Tomorrow is my first round of chemotherapy.”

Yuna made a face. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t intend to make it.”

There was a pause, and Yuna’s warm hand found hers. Hana was always cold lately. “So you’ve figured it out then?”

“How to make a guarantee, yeah.”

Yuna looked wistful. “It’s in the phrasing… and even then… As the last wish there’s even more possibility for it to go wrong.”

“I know, I know. The swords.” Yuna and her had talked more about it. Final wishes ending in death because that was simply how a sword moved along, and how her curse worked. “And the binding.”

“Yeah.”

“When we find the Kumiho that did this to you, I plan on kicking her ass.”

“Do you?”

“Yeah. So I guess it’s time for a miracle,” she said. “I wanted to wait. I wanted more time. For you, Yuna. I love you too much to just… wish you away.”

She smiled, her eyes closed. She almost felt like she could just sink. Float away and die, if she let it happen. Like pure force of will could just let her slip away and disappear. Easy. Permadeath, no 1ups.

“How about this?” she asked. “I wish I could be with you forever, Yuna, and be bound to you.I wish to be a demon too.”

There was a rush of magic through her, sending Hana tingling. An odd kind of tightness was drawing over her body, stealing along her veins. She opened her eyes to meet Yuna’s as the rest of the world seemed to slip away, leaving the two of them floating there in the dark.

“You know that means giving up being human, right?” asked Yuna, as she changed before Hana’s eyes. Dark purple eyes full of love and worry.

“I think I ran out of time to be human,” she replied. “Maybe my clock will reset.”

Their lips met, and Hana closed her eyes. A tear fell down her cheek as Yuna cradled her face. Fire flooded her body and Hana felt something leaving. A drag of energy, as if every negative was being stripped from her skin.

“Your wish is my command,” said Yuna, the last thing Hana heard before the tightness constricted.

“AHH!” Hana screamed, her body jerking up as if she’d been electrocuted, body contorting until she was arched from her heels to the top of her head. She couldn’t breathe as her hands flailed, grabbing at the cold steel.

She was choking in the darkness, all alone. Unravelling, piece by piece -

_ Am I dying? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about the second cliff hanger...


	14. LVL UP!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... apologize it's short ahead of time. I couldn't think of what to add to flesh it out, but I think it ends on a nice note. A little smut, a little happiness. Thank-you guys so much for following along with the fic, and putting up with me the last few months through my ups and downs. You're all really, really awesome. And hopefully soon I'll be starting a new fic soon!

“I’ll see you later, Hana, Yuna!” Dae-hyun called from the front hall. 

Hana was already flushed up, and not quite able to reply. She had Yuna’s skirt pushed up, hands on her soft thighs as her tongue worked against the other womans shaved sex, slowly lapping along her folds before finding the swell of her clit.

Yuna whined a moment, her fingers tightening in Hana’s hair. Dae-Hyun had left the room minutes ago. “Bye!” she called, as the front door shut.

Hana chuckled softly, her fingers pressing up and into Yuna’s folds and sliding inside of her. Perhaps it was the chance of Dae-hyun having heard, or just the idea of being caught, but Hana was more than a little satisfied as Yuna came, trembling and crying out for her, that hand turning vice-like.

“Hana, you’re  _ impossible.” _

_ That’s not wrong, _ thought Hana, pulling her mouth away and licking slick from her lips. 

“Only because of you.”

Hana Song, medical mystery. Dead for thirty minutes. What’s more, she woke up weak from lack of muscle mass, but voraciously hungry with a receding tumour. 

A ‘Christmas Miracle,’ according to the papers. Hana had plenty of blood drawn, which Yuna had doctored afterwards, following along invisibly and replacing it with her mother’s healthy samples. Fortunately they were the same blood type, and according to Yuna her mother wasn’t going to notice the magic.

The entire debacle had hit the internet, and people worldwide were talking about it. Most of the medical community were between trying to figure out if there was something in her blood or something she’d taken, or if the hospital was just incompetent. So far, it was leaning that way, and her parents were considering suing.

Now they were home and  _ blessedly _ alone. Hana wanted to use her new found strength for something good.

Her magic was still relatively unstable. Hana needed practice, but she was taking it slow, mostly because she now had all the time in the world. The change was the easiest thing. It tended to happen whenever she was excited, which was why Hana’s magic was reacting now as she pressed her mouth back against Yuna, tongue turning circles around that little bud, fingers resuming their pace up and inside of her lover.

A few spare objects - loose socks, a few games, a stuffed toy - lifted off the ground. Hana felt the magic spreading over her arms, making the fine hair prickle. Her tail unfurled, sweeping out behind her as Yuna shuddered. 

They tumbled down a moment later. There was a moment of disorientation, but when Hana opened her eyes she realized Yuna had just moved them to the bed, their clothes conveniently gone.

“That’s not a magical misuse?”

Yuna’s skin glowed with the gentle purple markings as she laughed. “You say that like there are  _ rules.” _

Hana squeaked as Yuna lifted her hips, bringing her mouth down against her folds. Hana’s heart is beating wildly, skin flushing. “Wh-why are you-”

“So I can see your cute face as you cum,” Yuna replied, her eyes flashing purple as her lips glistened, and a moment later she was licking again, her pink tongue working against Hana’s clit in slow and teasing circles. 

“Y-you don’t need to see my face,” Hana whined as her tail whipped uselessly. “Ah-AH!”

Yuna’s hand curled around, two fingers moving to Hana’s clit as Yuna pressed her tongue inside of Hana, turning slow circles, stoking the fire of need in Hana’s belly.

“I thought  _ I  _ was supposed to be the dominant one today,” she complained, before she twitched at a direct touch.

“Not when I can make you fall apart like this,” Yuna replied, licking her lips clean before she shifted up to kiss Hana with sticky lips. “Your tail, put it - nnnh!”

It was like it simply obeyed Yuna rather than Hana’s own commands, her own tapered tail rubbing against her lover’s sex before pressing inside. 

They kissed desperately, tails moving in tandem, the wet sounds of their love and their moans loud in the space. Hana couldn’t believe how sensitive she was, to even just the brush of Yuna’s breasts against her own stiff nipples, or how good it felt to have Yuna tug on her pointed ears with her teeth.

Fingers pressed firm against her clit now, direct, the pads warm and tingling. She was getting close, head thrown back as she moaned. 

“Y-Yuna-”

“That’s it baby- bring your legs up-”

“Kiss me-”

She trembled, pleasure mounting until Hana began to squirm, lifting from the bed. Yuna was moaned with her. 

“I love you-”

_ “I love you!” _ Hana cried out as she came with a pulse of energy, a flash of pale blue light, clinging desperately to her lover’s body. “I love you, I love you-”

**

The water was cold, but in a way that Hana had never experienced before. Even the chill air with thick and fluffy falling snowflakes didn’t feel right, like the chill that should be digging in and under her skin was simply non-existent. The surf washed over her feet, wetting them, the foam rising over her ankles. Hana looked up into the sky and felt the flakes kiss her eyelashes and lips and melt. 

It made her smile. “Haeundae Beach was our first date,” she said.

Behind her Yuna laughed.

Her toes sank in the cold and wet sand, and Hana remembered her early childhood ballet classes as she stood en pointe, before lifting her leg high. Her body felt strong, returned to a healthy weight. Water trickled from her bare feet along her leg, her white dress slowly growing damp.

When she stepped, Hana felt her body elevated. The sensation was unusual. The water was solid, a few inches swishing and sucking at her toes as she walked on the water. She couldn’t say she’d ever had the sensation before as she began to walk out into the inky dark.

A moment later Yuna appeared and warm fingers curled with hers. Hana felt her chest swell.

“You know… dying isn’t so bad,” said Hana quietly as they made their way into the darkness.

“You think it’s dying?”

“My human side died,” she shrugged. 

They stood together some hundred meters offshore, watching the darkness of the South Sea and standing together. 

“I’ve got a present for us,” said Yuna, after a long moment, and she waved her hand. A familiar red cartridge - the one that had started it all - appeared. The label, however, was no longer vibrant but grey and blank.

Hana was hers, Yuna was Hana’s. None without the other, at least so Yuna theorized.

Hana took the cartridge and regarded it for a moment.

“You know, a lot’s happened thanks to a snap decision to go to the flea market and spend twenty-thousand won.”

“Was I worth it?”

“Every won.” Hana flexed, the cartridge snapping easily under her newfound strength. There wasn’t so much as a spark. The cartridge didn’t have any magic left. 

“Bye bye!” she said, and tossed it into the dark water.

Yuna faked a gasp. “Polluting, Hana?”

“We’re technically immortal. We can dedicate a few years to cleaning up the oceans.”

Yuna giggled. Her fingers found Hana’s again and squeezed. 

“So what now?”

“Whatever we damn well please.”

 

Fin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you for indulging me through this silly little idea of mine. And keep an eye out for what happens when Soldier: 76's hunt for Talon operatives takes him to Busan, and Hana and Yuna get dragged into the mix.


End file.
